Conquest of Evil Part 7 - The Oncoming Storm
by Shadow Ranger
Summary: The Transition has been made, the Eye of the Storm has passed and the Summer Days are long gone. Now the Rangers must face the Oncoming Storm.
1. Time for a Doctor

Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers or Doctor Who. They belong to their respective copyright owners.  
Author's note: These events occur as the same time as the events in the previous chapter.

**Time for a Doctor**

The Book of the Unknown held many secrets and Dimitria considered herself cursed that while she knew much of what the books foretold, she could never use that knowledge to warn others unless the Book allowed it. The events that were to come could not be avoided. They were alas set in stone. The only question lay in which side would ultimately benefit. For the Xenotome told only of the journey and not the destination. And sadly she noted that a time when he was needed more than ever, Jeff Kincaid would not be there to play a role.

But the Xenotome also spoke of another player. Reluctant and unwilling to choose a side, he would curb the excesses of both factions, protecting life above all else. But it seemed the book was slightly confused because the time when he would make his appearance seemed to change every time she looked.

Eltare

When the first ships had been reported above an unimportant planet only a few light years from Eltare, the Morphin Masters had known that it was not a simple raid. As more ships continued to arrive it became clear that this new force was seeking to surround the planet, cutting them off from the neighbouring allies. When they received word that similar vessels had appeared at other seemingly random planets, they had known that the danger they sensed was real. For weeks the Morphin Masters had been receiving visions of a new evil that threatened to sweep them aside. A hidden danger, a dark spectre that could wipe them all out, one that would steadily circle its target until it was ready, and then it would strike a swift and fatal blow. And somehow in their dreams they knew that there was only one hope for their survival - for they were convinced that the final battle would be fought on the planet Earth.

They had been so concerned that they had sent a message to the Council, explaining their findings. The Council had responded that they were mistaken, refusing to change its stance on Earth. In doing so they ignored a powerful ally that could have saved many from an undeserved fate and practically handed victory to the dark forces that waited to strike.

Elsewhere

He became aware of his surroundings. He was in pain, absolute agony from the needles that had been implanted into his body. A mask had been attached to his face, allowing him to breathe and there was something poking into the back of his head. He reached up, aware of the viscous fluid that made moving difficult and grabbed the object. It was a tube, a thick cable that had been slotted into the upper part of his spine.

And then there was a click, followed by a whirling noise as the tubes retracted itself, causing the needles and other cables to pull themselves free. The mask on his face was torn away, leaving him to drown before the surface beneath him vanished and the fluid drained away.

And the darkness was transformed into glaring light.

"Welcome back, Doctor. You had me worried for a time there."

He raised his head and regretted doing so. His head was thumping, a side effect from the trauma it had suffered.

"You were very lucky," the voice continued. "You suffered a minor stroke and your brain almost shut down completely under the strain. As suicides go, not the most painless method."

"Where am I?" he asked. His mind was still affected by the recent trauma.

"The same place you have been for the last fifty years, Doctor: an insignificant little research facility on a world that cannot possibly exist; trapped behind the event horizon of a black hole just as the star it recently swallowed turned into a super nova. I am told this world was once called Minitee; that's a silent m, but be sure to pronounce it fully."

"That's impossible!" the Doctor snapped, realising as he did so that the contradiction had been exactly what was needed to give his higher reasoning a kick. With his awareness returning, he took the time to study his surrounding and was not surprised to find that he was exactly where he had been told - for while he couldn't see the black hole or super nova, he could feel the competing gravitation effects.

With that confirmed he chose to study his captors. Most wore black and white tunics with a gold seal embroidered on the left shoulder. That identified them as the lowest tier of technicians from his home planet. Not really surprising given that there were very few who were capable of trapping and holding him for more than a short time. Keeping his mind subdued but active was one way to extend the time before he realised something was wrong.

With the knowledge that he was in familiar, but far from friendly hands, he turned his attention to the person that had addressed him earlier. There was a meeting of minds as they telepathically recognised each other - for Time Lords preferred to identify each other using telepathy given how easily the senses could be fooled. Therefore when he did so and received the flash of his own face he associated with meeting himself along with a sense of loathing and darkness, he knew whom he was addressing.

The creature, abomination to some, was called the Valeyard and was an enemy he had hoped never to see again. He remembered the previous times they had met, but then the Doctor had not known that in reality it was just a temporal offshoot of his own dark side. All the things that the Doctor had tried to suppress out of fear of what he could become had been drawn together resulting in a psychic manifestation of those dark thoughts. The Doctor had hoped that having realised the importance of at least resolving some of his darker feelings, the Valeyard would never arise, but it seemed that his attempt to prevent it had failed.

"You can't resolve every your own nature," the Valeyard told him before answering the obvious question. "How do I know? Because I am you Doctor and that is what I would have asked had I been you at this moment. And to answer your next question: I am a fixed point in your existence. At some point between your twelfth and final regeneration, I will be created as all the darkness inside of you is purged. You cannot prevent it and if you did you would condemn billions of innocents. Accept it: I will emerge."

"You've changed," the Doctor noted.

The Valeyard chuckled. "I didn't claim that you had not had some success. When we first met I was the amalgamation of the dark side you kept suppressed throughout your very long life. All the murderous intent and barely contained rage, just waiting to boil over. So many feelings and thoughts and desires, far too many for you to erase completely. But then you became aware of me and how I formed. You changed your behaviour and with it you altered my nature."

"So you're claiming not to be my dark side anymore?" the Doctor asked.

The Valeyard laughed, shaking his head in wonderment of how naive his younger self could be. It was a cruel and mocking laugh.

"I am and always will always be your dark side, Doctor. You will always have a dark side no matter how hard you try to change it you will fail; any time you feel a slight pleasure in watching the downfall of an enemy, any cruel remark or desire to throttle an unhelpful official, your darker nature will emerge. You've let go of the murderous intent and the desire to lash out... all the things that helped mould my being. But you cannot eliminate all of it. Right now I am a representation of your dark side. As your personality grow darker or perhaps lighter, I will change to represent the darkness within. It's very subjective but I am only a reflection of your nature and compared to your - our - earlier self, there is less darkness there to reflect."

It made sense in a twisted sort of way. The Valeyard was a snapshot of the Doctor's darkness at any given time and depending on when the Doctor encountered it would affect how it appeared to him. Had it appeared during his first incarnation it would have been completely ruthless, seeking out its idea of paradise and then destroying it just to prevent it from changing. It would have been the reflection of an old man that was prepared to kill a savage in order to get his own way. If he had met him during his seventh incarnation, the Valeyard would have been manipulative, unrepentant and ruthless; a cold methodical madman fully at ease that his actions were for a greater good.

"So what are you now?" the Doctor asked. "Remove all the murder and the anger, and the bitterness. What is there left to give you form?"

"I'm the one thing you can't stop yourself from hating," Valeyard replied. "I am the personification of your self-loathing. I'm the part of you that bullied, manipulated and eventually engineered the death of your previous self just to fit your needs. I represent everything you hate about yourself and you are everything I hate. In the end locking you up here, and watching you exist in a state of non-being was intensely gratifying."

Around him the Doctor was aware of the technicians making adjustments to the machinery. Clearly this discussion was intended to distract him from the need to escape. So far, it was working.

"For evil exists where good men do nothing," the Valeyard continued. "And I've been helping to make sure that you've done very little besides gaining a few pressure sores."

As he spoke the memories returned. The Doctor remembered the trap, being captured and then spending months within some sort of capsule. he recalled how a projection of himself had been sent to an alternate Earth alongside Samantha and the adventures they had had there. He remembered how the Valeyard had used him as a bridge between the two realities, allowing Minion to visit and observe a tournament as Valeyard tried to convince the villain to change his ways. Except he hadn't been trying to change him, rather the Valeyard had been manipulating Minion, directing the clone on a path that would lead to the creation of the alternate reality he visited. In a way the Time Lords were responsible for creating a small multiverse that revolved around Minion and his war with the Power Rangers. And all so that their War Chiefs could raise an army to fight on their behalf.

"So why have you stopped?" the Doctor asked. "You could have continued playing with my mind. What changed?"

"Survival," the Valeyard told him. "Your mind is very difficult to fool. You've been inside the world of the Matrix and the equipment available here is sadly lacking in comparison. Your mind started to doubt the illusion and when it did so it triggered a defence mechanism you must have added to your psyche at some point. Your brain started to close down, disrupting the process and causing a feedback loop. If we hadn't removed you there was a chance you would have destroyed the entire facility."

To the Doctor that made sense. The Valeyard wanted to exist as a real being, not a mere anomaly. That meant that sooner or later he would need to clash with the Doctor in a battle of wills, the winner claiming the ultimate prize of existing. But the Valeyard knew that confrontation could not happen yet. In a previous incarnation he would not have cared, but the upcoming war needed the Doctor. And the Valeyard was certain that the changes the war would cause would make the Doctor vulnerable once again.

"The war started over a century ago, but the first shots have yet to be fired. Both sides are building their military and trying to undermine the other side. There have been only a few minor battles, but the ferocity of the fighting is growing. Our people have drawn up complex battle plans with the help of detailed knowledge of the future but as it stands, they have already lost. The plans they have been given are for war that has been fought and lost. They struggle to change those plans without stopping to ask themselves what they did that caused them to lose the first time. They're playing games with time against an enemy that is just as adept at playing that game and had a head start - not to mention a backdoor to their greatest secrets. Soon they will become desperate and when they do they will become just as dangerous as the enemy. And you Doctor will be spending most of your time making sure that they keep their war to themselves."

"And where do you fit into all this? Temporal anomalies like you can't exist for long without outside help."

"The Time Lords recruited me," the Valeyard explained. "And others like me. They needed you out of the way so that they would have more time to prepare for the war. They used me to make sure you remained ignorant of your situation. My knowledge of how your mind works was invaluable, mainly because I knew that sooner or later you would realise the truth."

The use of the Time Lord prison known as Shada had been the perfect place to keep the Doctor, but the Time Lords knew from past experience that the strongest of prisons was not enough to stop the Doctor from interfering. And that was why they had used the Valeyard, promising him a limited existence in return for his services. And he in turn had manipulated the Doctor's memories - his memories, suppressing the events surrounding his previous visit to Angel Grove, his separation from Samantha and the trap he had walked into. From there it had been easy to project the Doctor into another reality where the events played out and the Doctor was free to do as he wished without affecting the Time Lords' plans.

But now even the Valeyard was aware of how dangerous the Time Lords had become. And with his existence threatened he had decided that the time had come to unleash the one force capable of making them see sense: the Doctor. First though he needed to impress upon the Doctor how dire the situation had become.

"The problem Doctor is that this was not supposed to happen. You were supposed to return to Angel Grove, set down long enough to understand how bad things have become and then leave. I never expected you to bring the human with you. I'm not sure how you accomplished that anyway since she no longer exists in this reality. But then I suppose that would be a side effect of the compression."

"Compression?" the Doctor queried, his mind racing to slot all the pieces into place. "Time is being squeezed and accelerated? Why?"

The Valeyard chose to look out over the suddenly spectacular view of Angel Grove. He had not noticed it at first, but then slowly events had seemed to accelerate, skipping ahead without warning. It was most obvious when watching the Doctor's allies the Power Rangers and their enemies. Whole battles seemed to begin and then fast forward to the end. Evil Rangers had arisen and were next seen free of whatever means had been used to control them. He couldn't even recall their names although he knew they had existed. The sudden return of Lord Zedd, the struggle between the Rangers and their enemies on multiple fronts... even Zordon's capture... key events of history were being preserved but the story surrounding them had been washed away.

And he knew that the Time Lords were responsible, just as they were the ones that had kidnapped the majority of Earth's heroes, erasing their existence from the rest of the world as they tried to build an army of super warriors. Of course their plan would not succeed any more than their attempts to use alien monsters as cannon fodder. Their enemy was time active and no matter how powerful an army was, if the enemy could shift across time as well as space and they couldn't, they were useless.

"The Time Lord's have been using this world for their experiments," he said. "They've been taking advantage of the Earth's rather unique nature to help them create their super weapons."

That was true. While the population was not considered very advanced by Gallifrey standards, the Earth was a very powerful planet. Over time it had been theorised the planet was a nexus point of probability where alternate realities intercepted. That was why Time Lords needed to be wary when travelling near the planet not to get drawn into a different time stream. It was why despite being easy to manipulate, history was extremely resilient where the little planet was concerned.

"Why Earth?"

Valeyard gave him a cruel smile.

"Because of you, Doctor. They have seen the forces that the people of this world have repelled with your help and they believe that they can harness such a force. They wanted the Earth's heroes, so they took them, leaving only those that have likely come into contact with you. They even gave your former associates free reign on the planet as long as they can claim the results. Imagine it Doctor, every amoral scientist, historical meddler, warmonger and megalomaniac you had the dubious pleasure of knowing during your youth, unleashed on the world you admire so much. Is it any wonder they started messing with forces they didn't completely grasp, ripping tears into the fabric of reality and forcing time to compress just so they could buy a little more time?"

The Doctor shook his head. With each description he knew whom the Valeyard was referring to. The Time Lords were so desperate that they had recruited criminals and renegades to their cause, allowing them to commit unspeakable acts in the hope that one of them would somehow stumble upon the key to a Time Lord victory. And then he realised that it was not those creations that the Time Lords sought, it was whatever arose to counter them. They were forcing the humans, the universe even to give them a blueprint for a new army.

"It's strange really that the reason the Time Lords gave them that much freedom was not due to their collective genius or previous successes," Valeyard continued. "Each of them has accomplished something our fellow Time Lords have failed to do: they have found a way to rationalise the existence of magic. They can access the forces the High Council dare not dream about and turn it into a scientifically explainable weapon."

Yes, that made sense. Time Lords had a natural fear and hatred of magic hard wired into their genetic codes. Only certain renegades seemed to be able to bypass the restrictions. If not for that oddity, there was no way the Master could have ever rationalised his contact with demons as aliens beyond the dimensional void. Oh there were limits, the Doctor doubted any of his former associates would be able study or manipulate the Morphin Grid. That would move beyond mere rationalisation and into the realms of insanity. But that raised the question of how the Morphin Grid could be there in the first place when magic was erased from existence by the Time Lords.

"They've had help of course," Valeyard explained. "The compression of time is a side effect of twisting the personal timelines of their comrades, making it possible for them to exist in the present where they are enemies of the Power Rangers, and the near present where they have proven able assistants. And while the protectors of this world have been distracted by their recent adventures, the Time Lords have continued their work in the background, working on projects to bring them victory and aid the Time Lord war effort."

And then it occurred to the Doctor that the Time Lords had gone too far. They had extended their influence not only into the affairs of Earth and the nature of magic, but were trying to manipulate the ongoing war between Good and Evil, concepts they could barely understand. And all so that when they war came they would have a slim hope of changing the outcome in their favour. Somehow the Doctor doubted that would occur.

"So why am I here?" he quickly added: "Awake I mean."

"To stop them of course," the Valeyard told him. "Think of it as a choice Doctor: your precious planet Earth or the chance of a Time Lord victory. Which would you chose? Which do you value most, your own planet or your adopted home? How far are you prepared to allow this war to spread before you take action. How far are you willing to let either side go before you meddle in their plans even if it costs them the war?"

And whichever choice he made the Doctor knew that it would only bring about pain and suffering. And to see he suffer and question his decision, to watch as he agonised over an impossible choice. That was what the Valeyard desired. And the Doctor had no choice. He knew that he would never bring himself to fight a war for either side, but he was prepared to fight both sides on behalf of those that could not.

"And now you have been made aware the question is whether you are prepared to put your rules aside for them?" the Valeyard told him.

What followed was a list of the atrocities the Time Lords had already committed to prepare for war. They had already broken the rules of time, breaking through the temporal buffers surrounding their planet's past to retrieve genetic samples of long dead peers. The genetic looms used for breeding new Time Lords had been altered to recreate bodies using that DNA as a template. The repository of Time Lord Knowledge, known as the Matrix, had been pillaged to fill those bodies with the memories and intellects of the beings they resembled. All so that the Time Lord's ranks were swelled with some of the most intelligent and sadistic leaders an army could need - all of them soulless travesties.

Then to make matters worse, they had released their prisoners, offering suspended sentences in return for military service. For the cause of victory those crimes they had committed in the past were considered tactics. Amoral scientists, deviants, corruptors of innocents... all were welcomed so long as their methods helped to build the military might that was needed. And those that had been involved with the Doctor directly, his enemies? They too had been offered the forgiveness of their people if they could prove themselves useful. Some had received bribes far beyond money and power.

"No, I can see that you're not ready to do that... yet. Did you know it took seven attempts before you finally broke free?" the Valeyard asked. "The first time you became so immersed in the mental simulator we had to remove you before you transferred your mental capacity to the device. After that with each attempt your mind became more and more able to pick the world apart and notice the inconsistencies."

"And now?" the Doctor asked. He noticed the Valeyard gesture to one of the technicians. "No, wait! You can't put me back in there. I need to stop them."

The chamber started to close as the Doctor protested but it seemed the Valeyard was unwilling to hear him out. His hand touched the something in his pocket and he smiled as he realised that his situation was not hopeless after all. Where there was a screwdriver, there was a way.

Springwood, Ohio

_Serpenterra continued on its path of destruction, unhindered by the machine's high fuel consumption, which had been corrected thanks to the Zeo Crystal's near infinite supply of energy. Even with its plasma cannon repeatedly firing the fuel cells didn't show signs of diminishing. Of course the shots were not the high yield planet crushing blasts that it had used before. For some reason Minion found it more pleasurable to take lives in small doses rather than kill all life at once._

_Below was a small town. It managed a few select stores, a public bar, elementary school and its own small television station. The major employer in the area was the nuclear power plant, the most notorious plant in the country since its millionaire owner was a miser who was more than happy to ignore as many safety rules as possible. The mayor was a corrupt womaniser who spent much of his fortune paying the town's papers not to cover his indiscretions and the police department to deal with those that weren't sensible enough to accept bribery._

_The town was not known for its citizens' calmed reasoned thinking at the best of times; today there was absolute panic. The people had realised that the monster above them could not be stopped and there even the old fallout shelters built in case of nuclear war, would not shield them. And so they huddled together under the statue of their town's founder, hoping that something would save them._

_Serpenterra hovered over the town, waiting as the sense of panic reached a peak. Then the energy flowed into its weapon systems. A glow formed in the mouth and with sudden ferocity, a plasma blast ripped into the ground. The roads boiled as the houses were vaporised. The people tried to cry out in pain, but their voices were already lost as the sound of the explosion echoed into the neighbouring town._

_And on board the ship, Minion laughed as he adjusted his course to take him to Washington via a few other small towns as the remains of Springwood settled into a scorched pit, the anguish of those that had died there trapped within the tainted ground._

Springwood had never recovered from the decimation Minion had inflicted upon it. Like the other towns he had callously destroyed, it had not been restored when the Rangers had restored their reality. Perhaps because its destruction had been so complete that no amount of magic could reverse it. The ground had smoked for months following the incident leading authorities to check that there wasn't something beneath the ground that was burning. Eventually though the smoke had cleared and the area had been fenced off while those in power discussed what should be done.

High fences topped by razor wire had not stopped some from entering the area it seemed. Two figures walked across the scarred ground, delighting in the pain and suffering they could feel around them. They were Orgs, demonic spirits formed from the despair greed and suffering of humans. To them this tainted wound in the surface of the planet was everything they desired. For it seemed that while the humans had been correct that the area beneath the earth had not been set alight, they had failed to understand what a festering sore this former town had become. Unknowingly Minion's actions had created a nexus point where Orgs and other things could feed and grow stronger. If a being capable of seeing such things had looked they would have seen that Springwood was the epicentre of destruction with jagged tendrils of magically tainted ground spreading like a patchwork of cracks in all directions. It was a tainted Ley Line.

"Do you feel it?" the female asked, her horn glowing from the magical energy.

"Yes," Jindrax agreed. His companion was more in tune with the Org spirits, but with such a high concentration even he could sense it. "But why haven't they emerged?"

Org spirits were just that: spirits. In order to affect the world around them they had to first emerge and take on a physical form using whatever materials were to hand. That it seemed would be a problem in a place that lacked the raw materials for them to inhabit.

"They're not really Orgs," she answered. "They're just spirits created from this place." Then she smiled as she reached into her gown and pulled out a handful of seeds. "no matter, that can be corrected."

The seeds seeped into the ground the more they touched, providing the spirits that lived there a slight grip on the world around them. The two Duke Orgs watched as the seeds started to grow, forming monstrous vines that carried dripping fruit composed of wicked energy. The fruit ripened swiftly and sickly black flowers appeared shooting spore like pollens into the air that were carried by the suddenly fierce winds. And then the fruits withered, rotting into the ground and polluting it further as new vines emerged. And as they did so the spirits that inhabited the ruined ground started to seek out the small pieces that remained of the former town; any fragment no matter the size would do for the mutant spirits - for despite their hopes it was clear to the sinister duo that these were not true Orgs. Perhaps though they were an indication that the real Orgs would one day return.

Larry Zedden was in trouble. He had been for a while, but had chosen to ignore the discomfort, hoping that his resolve would be enough. The fact of the matter was that his plan to seal off the villain known as Lord Zedd and keep him imprisoned deep within his mind had failed. Zedd's evil was too great to be contained in such a way and as much as he didn't want to think about it, Larry knew that there were periods of time that he had not been able to account for in recent months. He was also aware that something had happened to prevent him from asking for help. He had been fighting a losing battle.

Then he had been injured fighting one of Rita's monsters. At the time the wound had seemed insignificant, but now he realised just how underhanded the wife of Lord Zedd had been - for the wound had been caused by an edge dipped in the rejuvenation fluid of Lord Zedd. The concentrated evil had started coursing through his veins and while it had taken its time, the evil magic was having an effect. No doubt Rita expected that in time it would break down his body and subject him to a long painful death. Instead the magic of Zedd had reached out and accepted the evil energies, keeping Zedden safe, but at the cost of the barriers he had placed around Lord Zedd when he had trapped him within the depths of his mind.

Either the barriers had been weaker than expected, or Zedd had been stronger than he had dared to believe. He had been fighting more and more to restrain the evil presence, constantly reinforcing the barriers while Zedd seemed to grow stronger. The rejuvenation fluid had meant that it was now a losing battle. The evil magic had poisoned him while strengthening Zedd. He no longer had the ability to reinforce the mental shielding himself.

Deep within his mind he could hear Lord Zedd laughing as he grew stronger and he knew that it would not be long until his will was overpowered. But before that happened there were things he need to do. First he summoned the Sword of Fire and gave it a magical command. If Lord Zedd was going to rise again, he would at least give the forces of good a weapon to use against him. The next spell he cast upon himself, creating an overwhelming desire to protect his wife. If Zedd tried to harm her, Larry knew it might be enough to give him some leverage. If not it would ensure that Leslie was left alone. And finally he said a prayer to whatever deity would listen that even if Zedd took control, he would not be allowed to slaughter innocents.

And as the clock struck midnight, heralding the dawn of a new day, Larry Zedden screamed; the battle was lost.

"Larry?" Leslie asked, opening the door to the bathroom where her husband had seconds earlier fallen to the floor.

"No Leslie, not Larry," Lord Zedd hissed as he towered over her.

She turned, hoping to escape the monster that had taken her husband and find help, but Zedd was too quick. The end of his staff connected with the back of her neck, freezing her in place as Zedd felt a wave of pain flood through his body.

"I have not harmed her!" he declared. "And as long as you do not oppose me, she will remain safe."

This time Zedd did not plan to rely on sorcery to keep control of the body he shared with Larry Zedden; he planned to use the Zeddens to create the body he needed. And when he was done he planned to leave them ignorant of his action. For Lord Zedd was a demon through and through, a creature that was more than capable of taking the love of two people and perverting it for his own purposes. And to show the absolute depths of his cruelty, he made sure that Larry and his wife were aware of the sickening acts he instigated.

It didn't take long. He could have dragged it out, but Zedd was impatient to have a physical form once more. The child of Larry and Leslie Zedden, conceived when neither was willing or able to consent to such an act, would serve as the new vessel for Zedd's soul. He could have waited for the child to be born, before ripping it away from its own parent, but he was unwilling to wait, so spared Leslie Zedden the pain of carrying full term by removing the barely formed offspring with a spell, not even checking that he had removed all the cells, before using a new spell to accelerate its growth. And when it reached adulthood, he tore aside the ruined soul within and took the body for his own. Lord Zedd was back!

Evil laughter rocked the house as Zedd raised his staff, and teleported away to the side of his wicked wife Rita Repulsa. But not before he made certain to alter the memories of his former host and his wife. It wouldn't do to expose himself just yet.

Elsewhere

His eyes opened as he heard the seal break. He was back in the real world once more. The many needles and tubes that handled his life support while he was trapped within the mental prison had already withdrawn and the advanced healing provided by his physiology meant that the pain and marks had already faded. He caught his reflection as he sat up, noting the pale complexion and greying hairline. Clearly he would need to spend a decade or so working on his tan again, which raised the question of just how long had he been in the chamber this time? The vibrations caused by his sonic screwdriver had disrupted the machinery, making it easier to realise what was happening, but it had taken time for his mind to grasp the meaning of the loud whine.

"Back with us again Doctor," the Valeyard said, stepping around from behind the equipment. "I suspected you would find a way; the technicians are starting to get a little upset with the problems you are causing."

Upset didn't really cover it. Every time the Doctor pulled one of his little suicide stunts the delicate machinery that kept him dreaming malfunctioned. The machine was supposed to keep the subject alive, very difficult to accomplish when said subject was unpredictable enough to throw himself in front of a bus with no warning. The technicians had been forced to constantly rewrite the program to keep him alive, but those watching hadn't even noticed him obtaining the poison before he used it.

"There are some who would prefer to remove your ability to interact with the world inside the machine," the Valeyard warned. "Imagine it: trapped in a dream world, aware that it is a dream but unable to move, or think."

It was an empty threat and the both knew it. The moment they tried it the Doctor would force a regeneration and ruin their machine permanently. It was only his curiosity that caused him to endure it to the extent he already did.

"I want to know what is really going on," the Doctor told him. He'd had time to think and realise that he was still being played. "No more lies, half truths, omissions or misdirection. We both know there is nothing you would like more than to see me regenerate, it's the only chance you would have to take this body. If the Time Lords could have given it to you, they would have done so. Which means they can't." His eyes widened. "Why can't they? Shifting the regeneration cycle of a Time Lord would be easy for them, they've had the techniques available for eons..."

"And that seems to be the problem," the Valeyard told him. "The Time Lords have lost the knowledge and the means to carry out what should be simple tasks. The moment they have a break through, the knowledge is removed to prevent them from repeating it. Individual Time Lords are having their biodata rewritten on a whim."

Humans on the planet Earth had known for decades about DNA, the building blocks of life. However very few races had learnt the intricacies of biodata, the complete history and timeline of an individual. Some had speculated that biodata was related to the Morphing Grid, but given the Time Lords' refusal to consider anything that could be considered magical, that had never investigated such a link. Altering the biodata of an individual changed their history and their future. Even small changes could have spectacular effects as the changes rippled through the biodata. However a corruption on the level the Valeyard spoke of was uncommon and could not have occurred in such a small timescale.

"And whoever has carried out those changes has prevented other from doing the same thing." the Valeyard continued. "The Time Lords have already attempted to overwrite your biodata with my own to gain a more willing fighter. It should have worked, but your biodata has changed so much that there is no longer a clear overlap."

And there it was, laid out for him in simple terms. The Valeyard had kept him alive because the Time Lords were not in a position to give him his prize. Which also meant that the Time Lords still needed something either from the Valeyard or from the Doctor that the Valeyard could provide. And clearly the corruption of his biodata was severe if the attempts to repair it had failed meaning the Time Lords were all vulnerable. Biodata existed on a non-physical level out of reach of most beings and could only really be interpreted as mathematical equations. To manipulate it took special skills that only the Time Lords and a few higher dimensional beings possessed. While it could change over time, corruption was extremely rare and corruption to the extent the Valeyard implied was unheard of.

"They are naturally terrified of the implications if this is a new weapon of some sort," the Valeyard told him. "Imagine the damage it could cause, to rewrite the biodata of an entire army. You could wipe them out without setting foot on the battlefield."

"There's more to it than that," the Doctor guessed. "We've known how to use biodata as a weapon for centuries. Why has this got them so worried?"

"Because the changes made to you haven't stopped yet," the Valeyard told him. "Your biodata is still being edited and they haven't managed to find the source. It's little changes to things that would be insignificant, except you know how difficult it is to make small changes. Your biodata is changing at a predetermined rate. We tried to slow the changes enough to understand them, but at some point your biodata was altered to be unreadable."

"And that's what this is all about," the Doctor realised. "You put me in a modified prison chamber so that you could try to study my biodata while I was asleep. You thought the avatar would duplicate the biodata in a readable form."

"And it did," the Valeyard replied. "That's why we know how many changes were made and when. We just don't know why they were made and why they haven't caught up to you yet." He sneered. "The changes that we saw earlier were only the first of many. There are other changes filtering through your timeline, influencing those around you. Your continued existence is destroying the Web of Time."

The Doctor recalled that one of his previous companions had shown signs of having her DNA and biodata altered - although human biodata was so simple it might as well have been just DNA. He had never resolved the reason for the changes although he had accepted that it was partly his fault. Was it possible that the reason he had accidentally altered her biodata was because somebody had altered his to give him that ability? And if so, who?

"So that speech about a war and the need to prepare, everything you told me about the Rani and the Master was all false?" the Doctor asked.

The Valeyard laughed. "Of course not. There is a war going on Doctor, the outcome is already known. We know how it starts and how it ends and that as it stands you are there at both the beginning and the conclusion. We know that those you have encountered in the past will play a vital role, which is why we've allowed them their freedom in return for their service. The same deal would have been offered to you if it had been possible."

There was something about what he said that made the Doctor pause for thought. It was obvious that the Time Lords were bound to lose the war, which was an outcome they wanted to change. They were desperate enough to offer an amnesty to known criminals yet authorised his imprisonment. The only conclusion was that he was somehow responsible for the outcome. But then why had they not let him fight and eliminate him at a later time?

"The war still hasn't started yet?" he asked.

"No, two centuries from when we last spoke and the Great Time War as our leaders want to call it, is still little more than a few skirmishes and some dirty tricks. And until they have found a way to emerge victorious, the war will not be allowed to start. We are in the middle of a temporal cold war that could break out into all out hostilities at any moment."

Then the Doctor understood. He had been, would be, the person that started the war. The Time Lords had removed him from Time and Space to keep him from doing so because they could not find a way to win. But that meant they had to know how the war would end, which meant they had knowledge of the future it was not possible for them to possess.

"It will be a war that will break most of the Laws of Time, Doctor," the Valeyard explained. "Both sides will use paradox as a weapon. The Web of Time is already damaged and by the end refugees from the war, those that are not immediate victims of the end will attempt to travel back to change it. And when they arrived, the Time Lords tried to find a way to change the outcome, but were unable to do so."

"So instead you decided to delay the inevitable," the Doctor guessed. "But why the deception?"

"Come now Doctor, if I had told you the real reason you would have escaped immediately to try and find a way to avert the start of the war. You would have failed and likely accelerated events causing the war to happen sooner than expected. Instead we gave you a puzzle to solve. But the problem remains: what do we do with you now?"

It was a problem. They couldn't put him back in the chamber now he had shown that he was unwilling to cooperate. They couldn't kill him if his role in the beginning of the war was set in stone. Unless of course his death was the event that started the war. Given that he could probably escape any other cell they chose to place him in, the chances of them keeping him a prisoner were now non-existent. Therefore as reluctant as the Valeyard was to do so, the Doctor knew his only choice was to let him go.

"And what about 'Morphin Grid'?" the Doctor asked.

No matter how desperate things became the Doctor could not envisage any event that would cause the Time Lords to alter reality on such a massive scale. Allowing the existence of magic was abhorrent to his species.

"During the last days of the war, some of the survivors decided to try one last gambit to snatch victory. They travelled back to the very beginning and attempted to burn the enemy from existence at the very start. Their mission failed so badly they almost wiped out all life in the universe. The only choice they had was to reset everything, removing all the changes made by our people to influence the nature of this reality. This universe is the result."

"Meddling with forces that you have no chance of comprehending, how typical of our people," the Doctor sneered. The Time Lords had sacrificed a reality they had shaped to be a place of order and science, just for a chance of victory. "And now you've been trying to control it again, using the Earth to do so. Well that stops now. Regardless of what you do to me, you will leave the Earth out of it. You will stay well away from Earth, its galaxy and all surrounding galaxies. The universe is big enough for you to have your little war without involving them."

"And if we don't?" Valeyard asked, clearly intrigued.

"Then I will take whatever steps I think are necessary to make sure you do," the Doctor answered. "I am willing to stand on the front line battling the enemy, it's your choice who that enemy will be."

It was a lie. The Doctor would never stand on the front line and fight. He was more likely to rush headlong into a shower of bullets holding a medical kit just to help an injured soldier.

"And you really think that they will take your threats seriously?" the Valeyard asked, sceptically.

"I think I know what my role in this war will be," the Doctor answered. "And I think there are many outcomes to this war, but there are only two that matter: either the Time Lords will survive or they will not. And I think we both know that if they make me an enemy, their chances of surviving are not worth mentioning."

"The Earth is too valuable for us to overlook, you know that," the Valeyard argued. "You know how important that world could be if used properly and even if we agreed our enemies would not."

The Doctor did know the power the Earth represented. It was a world rich with raw materials. It was also a world where various extra dimensional energy fields seemed to leak through providing unlimited power to those that knew how to tap into it. However in a war where both sides had access to time travel, the Earth represented an even greater power. For Earth was a nexus of probabilities that could be used against an enemy, turning countless battles in the favour of those that controlled it. He was aware that his people had interfered with Earth in the past in an attempt to use it as a weapon. That plan had failed and wiped out an entire civilisation. He would not let that happen again.

"I will fight anybody that tries. Go and fight your battles, but fight them somewhere else. Because if either side try to use Earth or its people, I will fight them and if necessary, I will destroy them. Take your war away from this world, this galaxy, this whole section of the universe. Go and fight in the dark places where there is no intelligent life. Let them fight on Gallifrey for a few years and then decide if the war is worth it. Take the battle to their world and see if they like it."

They wouldn't listen. At best they would pretend to heed his warning and back away while positioning their agents in readiness to use the planet. He could live with that so long as all they did was prepare. However the moment they changed their stance, he would oppose them. At the moment he knew they considered that an undesirable position.

"The High Council will not approve of this," the Valeyard told him. "Since they are currently engaged in other matters though you shouldn't worry about it for now. It will be some time before they decide to do anything drastic."

Other matters, a euphemism to carrying out acts that went against the natural order of the universe. The Valeyard knew why the High Council had ordered complete access to the collective storage facility where the amassed wisdom of the Time Lords was kept. He knew why they had created massive numbers of looming facilities within which the Council could produce massive numbers of Time Lord soldiers. He even knew about the herds of war vessels they were growing in a secret part of the Time Vortex in readiness for war. That they were willing to bring a figure from Gallifrey's past to life to lead them spoke of their desperation. It was also an act that would cause the Doctor to step in, which was why the Valeyard chose not to argue too much. Much better to send the fool on his way.

"I cannot guarantee that some of those rogue elements you used to associate with won't try," he warned.

"I'll deal with them when I have to," the Doctor promised.

The Valeyard nodded and gestured to where the Doctor's TARDIS had suddenly appeared. The Doctor spared him only a glance as he made his way inside and set the coordinates. He had things to do and preparations to make. And the sooner he was away from his dark side, the better. The TARDIS seemed to agree, throwing itself into the time vortex and back to more familiar territory.

There were still questions to be answered. While he was certain that he was once again in the real world and the this was his reality, he instinctively knew that it was not the reality he knew. He had recognised that months earlier when he had first set foot in Angel Grove. History had been rewritten not just one Earth but right across the Universe. Something had changed dramatically and magic had never given way to science the way it was supposed to have done. That a single being had the power to bring existence to an end with a sword suggested that something had gone gravely wrong and the Time Lords had completely overlooked it. However there was a niggling doubt that made him wonder if perhaps they had not overlooked the event and were instead planning to use it to their adavantage.

But investigating what had happened would need to wait for a while. Before that he needed to assess how the war had impacted on the galaxy. He didn't trust the Time Lords and he trusted their enemies even less. He had meant what he had said to the Valeyard. The first side to involve the Earth in their schemes would pay the price. He hoped that would be enough to keep both sides at bay for the moment.

And still the question remained of just how long he had been a captive? He believed it was far longer than the Valeyard had suggested. It was very disconcerting not knowing his own age.

The Vaults of Imphos were empty and their guardian despaired. Long ago, shortly after the Universe had been born, the Vaults of Imphos had appeared. Little more than an inter-dimensional storage space at that time, its importance had evolved in a short period as the Higher Powers recognised the inventiveness of the lesser inhabitants and understood how dangerous some of that knowledge could be. Since that time the vaults had gradually filled with technology and magical creations deemed too dangerous for anybody to possess. There were weapons that could kill gods with a single glancing blow or crystals that could turn planets into stars and stars into black holes. For generations items deemed too powerful were collected and secured away from those that would misuse them, sealing them within a seemingly impenetrable wall.

No sane mind could reach the Vaults of Imphos without being allowed to do so. And those that reached it and were insane normally met a messy end. But there was an exception, a mind that had been shattered to the point of insanity had gained access to the vaults only to find his senses at the last moment and leave again. That person had known then used the knowledge of how to gain entry to the vault to manipulate another into travelling there and overcoming the Sentinel Knight that stood as its guardian.

Minion had defeated the Sentinel Knight in combat, allowing the villain to steal the Sword of Ragnarok. The villain that had brought Minon to the vaults had taken the object he desired and had left, leaving the Vaults of Imphos open, unprotected and vulnerable. And then Minion had used the Sword of Ragnarok and the Vaults of Imphos had been destroyed only to be restored when the Great Power had restored reality. But the items stored within the safety of the vaults were gone, scattered through time and space, and the many realities that had been created to accommodate the impossible division of Minion's soul. Objects of unimaginable power had fallen into the hands of the lesser beings and there was nothing the Sentinel Knight could do. And even if he had been able to recover them, the Vaults of Imphos were no longer protected by their previous requirements; anybody could visit Imphos and providing they knew where they were, enter the vaults.

He had gathered the items he deemed the most dangerous - those with the potential to cause the widespread destruction that the Sword of Ragnarok had achieved. They had accounted for a small corner of a vast shelf. There were other items littered through time that were mostly ignored by the populace and those that had integrated so firmly into history that there was no way to remove them. And then there were those that were desperately sought after by the lesser beings that wanted the power they could grant. Not just objects, but books containing knowledge of their design.

And it seemed that over time the little planet Earth had been used as a galactic dumping ground and as a result was the new home to many dangerous objects. Luckily the population had remained ignorant of their potential, but the Sentinel Knight could see the time was coming when the ancient secrets would be unravelled. Private collectors were greedily snapping up objects not realising the true nature of what they possessed. But just existence of such collections was enough to draw the attention of those that could use them.

The Sentinel Knight had sworn on the day that the Master had caused the loss of the Vaults of Imphos that he would restore them once more. But with many items now recorded in history it seemed that doing so would be an impossible task. Reality had been changed when the Vaults of Imphos had been destroyed and there was little he could do. Instead he promised that he would seek out the most dangerous objects and secure them away from those that would abuse them. It would be a long and difficult mission, especially with so man of them scattered across the Earth and in use as ornaments. Perhaps he would first need to find some native help after all it appeared that his own power had been greatly reduced when reality had been restored. He now existed as a physical entity outside his precious vaults.

Elsewhere

The Valeyard watched as the TARDIS disappeared. Events were back on track as far as he was concerned. The Doctor would soon find a new companion and would be distracted while he tried to ignore the signs of the coming war. There would be pain and suffering, and events that would make the Doctor question himself and the path he had chosen. The Doctor would hold himself back from joining the war under the delusion that it would keep him from succumbing to the madness around him. It was a lie that would have tragic consequences.

The Time Lords had made the wrong choice when they had removed the Doctor from time. The Valeyard had at least tried to warn them that this was a mistake. He had been ignored, just as he had predicted he would be ignored; privately he was pleased that that had been the case, but at least he had gone through the motions of playing nice. Rejecting his advice had set events in motion that were no longer completely in line with the established history. The Doctor's warning about Earth would have been unnecessary had they left him alone. Now he was suspicious and paranoid, a combination that would make him act out of character.

But there was very little that could be done now. The enemy was on the move and despite the Doctor's warning, the Earth had been highlighted as a target. Before long one side or the other would make a move to control the planet. When they did the Doctor would retaliate and the Time War would begin. Where things went from that point though was uncertain - for even the Valeyard could not tell the future beyond a certain point.

And then there was the matter of the modified biodata. The Doctor had missed the importance of what the Valeyard had told him; perhaps his biodata had been changed so that he could not comprehend the importance. The Doctor had certainly failed to notice that the Valeyard was more than just an anomaly. His body was real, the result of a deal he had made. He was now independent of the Doctor, a unique being with a shared past. And now he was here after somehow crossing between realities and he was looking to follow his agenda to its natural conclusion. Nothing else mattered.

He laughed as he stepped into his own TARDIS, hidden behind a piece of computer equipment, and departed. He had his own plans to put into motion and a war to shape. It was amazing what desperate Time Lords would allow him to get away with.

Elsewhere

Hours after the Doctor had left the facility, the technicians were in the process of closing down their operations. Without a prisoner there was no need for such an elaborate prison. The area was filled with the noise of machinery as they worked to erase all evidence that they had ever been there. It was so noisy that their work drowned out the sound of an approaching TARDIS. When they did finally notice it the technicians assumed it was the Valeyard returning with last minute instructions, until the Doctor emerged.

"Gentlemen, we need to talk," the Doctor stated calmly, ignoring the weapons that had been drawn and pointed in his direction. He knew they needed him alive and more importantly they wanted him at large. That meant the worst he could expect was an overzealous stun blast. "It took a while for me to realise, but then it's so very difficult to fool yourself that I never thought he could do so, but the Valeyard was lying. Now, would you like to tell me where I have really been all this time?"

And that led to the explanations as the technicians tried to think of a way to summon help without tipping off the surprisingly calm Time Lord. The Valeyard it seemed had not lied to the Doctor, he had just downplayed the importance of a few points. It had made it easier to tell a convincing lie, a habit the Doctor planned to use more often. The Doctor had been used to guide a physical avatar created by his captors. The dreams he had experienced where he had travelled to parallel universes had been the feedback from the avatar. The Time Lords had been watching and recording those images, using them to select realities where they could find candidates for their military.

He also discovered that neither the Valeyard nor the Time Lords were responsible for the creation of the local multiverse; a creature named Minion had somehow created it when he had destroyed existence. The Doctor was still not convinced that a sword could accomplish such a feat, but he had a suspicion that Minion had had some help in that regard.

Then he had received a major shock: the Time Lords had not been responsible for the return of magic to existence. They had tried to prevent it, but an outside force had rewritten all their attempts to manipulate history. The Morphin Grid and a few other sources had been the closest thing to control the Time Lords had achieved. That the changes had continued, expanding the number of species on worlds the Time Lords had declared lifeless meant that their greatest asset, their knowledge of how history should play out, had been taken from them.

~So the Time Lords are facing an enemy that can play games with time as well if not better than them, has the means to alter the base settings of existence and has somehow shifted the Prime Reality away from what we know.~ It didn't take a genius to see why the Time Lords had lost the war. ~Somebody has managed to merge two, perhaps three universe together and this is the result.~

And the Time Lords were making it worse with their meddling. But that didn't concern the Doctor. He was more worried about what would happen when the Time Lords realised their efforts were failing and took more drastic measures. At least now he had the truth and a starting point in his attempt to stop the war growing out of control.

The High Council Chambers, Gallifrey

"We have heard your report and approve of everything you have done," the President announced. "You have kept your side of out bargain so we will keep ours. The body you have been granted will remain permanent and you will join your fellow Time Lords in the war to come."

The Valeyard nodded.

"Now, what do you make of the Doctor's warning?"

"He meant every word he said," the Valeyard told him. "If we involve the Earth or any of the local galaxies, he will consider us the enemy. I recommend you ignore him." He ignored the uproar that caused. Those present knew what an angry Doctor could do and the problems he could cause them. "If the Doctor is watching Earth and taking steps to avoid its involvement, he will not be concentrating on other matters." He paused to stare directly at the President, his face conveying that he knew at least some of the things the High Council had planned. "If he should learn of just one of those projects he would probably hand us to the Daleks himself."

The Time Lords were building weapons of mas destruction on a cosmic scale in an arms race against an enemy that was far more capable in the ways of war. If the Doctor stopped them, they were bound to lose. Far better to have him occupied while the work was completed before calling on him to complete his role.  
====

The Xenotome told many things and what she read filled Dimitria with sadness. On Earth she knew this time of year was considered a time of peace. In truth this year had anything but and the future would only grow darker. But all was not lost year. The Book of the Unknown did not state how the year would end, she hoped that meant there was a chance that it would be a happy ending. Deep down inside, she doubted it.

And the year to come promised to be a year of loss and of sorrow. There would be betrayal and difficult decisions to make. The Darkness would sweep through the universe and although the light would shine brighter than ever, it would not last long once the light had been extinguished.

**End of Part**


	2. A Cry for Help

Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers. They belong to the current holder of the copyright. This is a fan work and not for profit.

**A Cry for Help**

Aquitar

It was the forgotten planet or at least the world the Galactic Council tried not to think about too much. At one time it had been a key part of the Council and the source of some of the best warriors for expeditions to watery worlds. Then the villain known as Minion had orchestrated an attack on the planet and contact had been lost. Few Aquitians had made it out of the supposed slaughter and no word had come from the planet after Minion's eventual defeat. Many assumed the world had simply died.

Some of the survivors had returned to their world months after the event. All had vanished. The few trading and relief ships that had attempted to land had been destroyed. Satellites sent to survey the surface had been lost. In the end the Council did not have the backbone to risk sending a fleet to investigate exactly what had happened, fearing that some dictator now called the planet home. They chose to let Aquitar remain an unknown in a universe that was too dangerous to leave such mysteries unsolved.

Aquitar was not dead. Its population survived, sort of. They existed although it was difficult to call the slavery they endured life. For something had claimed the watery world shortly after the original conqueror had left it, something that had polluted the waters with its very presence. Once it had become clear that the invaders could permanently poison the waters of their world, the Aquitians had accepted their new situation while waiting for help from the outside to free themselves. And since that time they had worked tirelessly in their new master's name,Â united by an unwanted purpose and an increasing fear that help was never going to arrive and that whether or not they completed their task, they would be destroyed.

But there was still hope and there was still enough fight in the downtrodden population to fight back. United as a single mind for a brief second, all they could manage was a single word without being detected, something that would let the rest of the universe know of the great peril they faced and remind them that they were still there. One word that would convey everything they needed to say. And once a thought came to mind they clung to it, enhancing its power before sending it out into the cosmos.

A single word, a name that carried all the hopes of the Aquitian people into the minds of all those that were capable of hearing and understanding them. Language was not a barrier for this was raw feeling. Desperation, fear, grief and sorrow all rolled into a continuous heart wrenching plea for help. And on the surface, their masters failed to figure out what was happening - for the people of Aquitar in their desperation had shared the hopes they kept buried deep inside and had realised they were not alone.

In that moment they had gained hope and the belief that they could fight back and retake their world.

The cry for help had been sent. It echoed through space, enhanced by the collective thoughts and emotions of the Aquitian people. Many heard the silent yet powerful plea and most ignored it. Those that should have responded refused to do so, blocked by bureaucracy and political reasoning. The plight of one planet, even one that had contributed as much as Aquitar, mattered little when those in power were too busy scrutinising the activities on Earth. The distrust of Zordon and his Rangers blinded the Galactic Council to the real priorities, something that some of its senior members were only to happy to allow to continue.

Eventually though on a cold winter night on the planet Earth, the cry was heard and understood. It was said that when taking on the mantle of a Ranger, that the Power could cause latent psychic abilities to emerge. On Earth the Rangers were proof that such theories were correct. Most felt the call although not all were capable of understanding its meaning, only the underlying need. It was enough though for the Power Rangers to gather together as a complete group for the first time in months.

"Aquitar..."

Billy spoke the planet's name and his pain was evident. He had lived there, had loved there and had lost everything there when Minion had directed his forces to seize the watery world. He had left knowing that those that remained were as good as lost and when Minion had been destroyed and reality restored, he had believe like many others that Aquitar and its people were truly lost. But that was not the case. They had survived and judging by the message he had received, they had been suffering.

"We left them," he said blandly. "All this time and we've allowed them to suffer instead of helping. How could we miss the population of an entire planet?"

"Somebody used a powerful spell to stop those looking from seeing anything except what they needed to see," Trey explained. "They fooled everybody."

~Not everybody,~ The Lord of Triforia corrected himself. ~Somebody in the Council would have known. The census office would have recorded the population.~

"The spell used is very similar to those used by some Rangers to hide their identities," Zordon explained. "Once the spell was in place and the first lies were told, the spell became self-sustaining, using the belief of those it had already affected to reinforce its influence. Only those that knew the secret or visited the planet would know the truth."

"And now the spell has been broken," Trey concluded.

"Indeed," Zordon agreed. "The psychic message that some of you felt has overwhelmed the effects of the spell, rendering it useless."

"So how are the Council going to help them?" Trini asked.

"The Councill will not be lending any assistance," Trey answered. "Aquitar was removed from its membership when it was declared a dead world. The Council will not interfere in the affairs of non-member planets."

"Unless it happens to be Earth," Jamie pointed out.

"Zordon we owe the Aquitians a debt we cannot repay," Tommy said. "Earth would have fallen to Rita and Zedd if not for their efforts. They put their lives on the line to help us."

"Tommy's right, we can't abandon them," Jason added.

Several Rangers nodded in agreement.

"Rangers, I am proud of your loyalty, but you must understand that if we aid Aquitar, we will be standing against the Council," Trey argued.

"Wouldn't be the first time," Zack retorted. "Aquitar is not a Council world and nor is Earth."

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi, we can't just leave Earth undefended," Alpha protested.

"We don't have to," Tommy answered. "Don't you see guys? Fred and the Turbo Rangers are the active team, the rest of us are reserves. We can go and help Aquitar and still leave the planet protected."

"If we're going to do this we need to do so quickly, before they discover their secret is out," Adam urged.

Zordon was silent for a while, considering the problem and its possible outcomes. In the end though even he knew there was only one option.

"Very well Rangers, we shall aid the people of Aquitar. I suggest you all return to your families and explai the situation. We might be gone for some time."

"We?"

"Of course, I cannot allow you to venture into danger on your own."

"But Zordon what about the Council?"

"I am a member of the Council and I am a Morphin Master. My presence will allow you some credibility when it becomes public knowledge. At the very least I can shield those of you who are natives of Council worlds."

And so t was decided that the Power Rangers of Earth would aid their allies on Aquitar. That night many truths were revealed to families across Angel Grove. Not many of those who heard the truth were completely surprised; the original Power Rangers had not been as careful as some of the later teams to conceal their identities. There were words of encouragement as well as some anger at the news that their children were leaving, but in the end, it was accepted.

And as Pyramidas hovered above the Power Chamber, the citizens of Angel Grove witnessed a light show unlike anything they had seen before as the Rangers loaded their massive carrier ready for the journey ahead. And as the light show ended, the Rangers teleported aboard and Pyramidas took off into space. The Liberation of Aquitar had begun, but first Zordon had insisted that they seek out the help they needed. Freeing a planet took more than a few teams of Power Rangers after all.

**End of Part**


	3. Hey Teach, Leave Those Kids Alone

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers or any other show. They are the property of whoever owns the rights at this time. Justin's dream is courtesy of the epilogue of Two Faces of Sydney from JRL's Earth Crystals story, which he has still not continued despite previous promises hint hint.  
Author's Note: Super Green is not an original idea. It's what I called a mode that was seen in a couple of Masked Rider episodes where Dex's armour changed without reason. In some of those episodes Dex was also shown in an enlarged state. The reason for this was that they were using footage from a Kamen Rider movie instead of the usual series, however instead of making up a new power for Dex, I just wanted to give this mode a name. As far as the devolved Edenite goes, inspiration for that came from two sources: Kamen Rider Black which was the show before the show that got translated as Masked Rider, gave the hero a pre-armoured phase, and the movie Kamen Rider Shin where the protagonist mutates rather than transforms into a Kamen Rider.  
Datz is the name originally given to Fact in the Masked Rider/Power Rangers crossover Friend in Need. I decided to keep them as two separate machines and will probably end up using them both in future stories.

**Hey Teacher, Leave Those Kids Alone**

The Moon  
6th January 1998

His name was Goyle and he was a failure. He had arrived offering his services to Divatox. She had sent him after Prince Gasket who had soundly defeated him and then sent him on a suicide mission against the Machine Empire's foundry. He had survived only to wind up back where he had started. And now the area of the Moon where he had once met with Divatox was empty, leaving him alone... and hungry. With nothing better to do he had made his way to Rita's Luna Palace and had eventually found some food.

He sniffed it, making a face at the disgusting smell. It didn't taste much better and when the pain started he thought that maybe he had made a mistake. That was until he started to feel the effects of the strange food as it restored his battered body, renewing his strength along with a change of skin tone. Now he would show Divatox that he could pulverize the Power Rangers just as he had boasted... once he finished eating.

November 1997

"That prediction made no sense, even Fact is not so dense," Gork mocked.

"I think reactivating Datz was a mistake," Nefaria whispered to Cycloptor.

Indeed the majority of Count Dregon's senior advisors were in agreement. Datz had last been used on the planet Edenoi and had been damaged shortly before Dregon had decided to make Earth his new target. The Datz unit had been damaged and replaced by Fact, but following a recent fit of anger, Fact needed time to repair... and for Dregon to calm to down.

"Datz unit is at peak computational capacity," Datz responded. "Current test subject has a forty-two percent chance of triumphing over the Masked Rider. Current plan has a ninety-six percent chance of successfully completing primary objective."

"How can the plan succeed if the subject fails?" Nefaria demanded.

In recent months Dregon had expanded on his hybrid experiments, creating a collection of warriors to replace his dwindling supply of Insectivores. The process had been slow due to the constant interference of the Masked Rider and his allies, but Dregon was finally at the stage where he had sufficient specimens to start sending them into battle. The problem was that most of them had an even lower chance of success than the Insectivores.

"Masked Rider has superior abilities that will result in destruction of mutant," Datz replied. "Destruction of specimen will lead to completion of Count Dregon's primary goal."

"And how would defeat allow Count Dregon to conquer this planet? He is not making sense!"

"Perhaps because conquering this planet has never been my main goal," Dregon mused.

"Correct, primary goal of Count Dregon is control of the Masked Rider powers," Datz replied.

"Very well Datz, tell me how this plan of yours will work," Dregon instructed.

"Compliance."

"Electro Saber - Activate!"

Positioning his hand against the Ecto-Accelerator, the Masked Rider gripped the handle of the Electro Saber and pulled it free, charging the weapon as he did so. For Dregon's forces it was the moment they had been waiting for. Datz's analysis of the Masked Rider had detected a weakness in the Masked Rider's armour while drawing his weapon. With the Ecto-Accelerator partially exposed, the Blaster Bug followed its instructions and unleashed an energy pulse that struck the the charging interface.

The Masked Rider was thrown backwards, crashing to the ground, his Electro Sabre destroyed by the overload. However apart from the discomfort of his landing, Dex was unhurt. He launched himself back at the Blaster Bug, avoiding the miniature swarm of razor sharp spike it threw in his direction.

"Rider Kick!"

Masked Rider drove himself feet first in the Blaster Bug, causing it to explode.

"I thought his defeat was supposed to give Count Dregon control of the Masked Rider powers," Nefaria sneered.

"Outcome successful," Datz reported.

"Datz must be blind or out of his mind," Gork protested.

"Perhaps you should be watching the monitor then," Cycloptor told him.

"Ectophase, deactivate!" Masked Rider called.

And then he screamed. Dex had endured pain before. He had suffered countless injuries at the hands of Count Dregon's forces. He had suffered nightmares almost every night due to some of the things his 'uncle' had put him through. But that was nothing compared to the agony he felt as he tried to deactivate his damaged Ecto-Accelerator. Blaster Bug had damaged the device, breaking the safety protocols that limited the way in which the device transformed Dex. With the device damaged, the discharge was no longer controlled and tried to alter its user's body.

In a flash his armour vanished, but the power was not done. He could feel the changes to his DNA as the Ecto-Accelerator tried to transform his body into a living version of the Masked Rider. His skin ripped as his fingers tore at his burning flesh. His muscle mass increased, ripping his clothes as his body grow to accommodate the power. Sharp spikes appeared on the back of his forearms. His face changed to resemble that of his Masked Rider armour, but his eyes were green instead of red.

And then control seemed to slip as the insect warrior's instincts took control of the transformation, forcing Dex's consciousness to the back of his mind. With an inhuman scream the devolved Edenite turned toward the populated areas of the city and charged.

"The Masked Rider has been devolved into an Edenite mutant," Datz reported. "Count Dregon's primary goal is now complete."

Suddenly the machine's prediction made sense. Even though the Blaster Bug had lost, the Masked Rider had been transformed into a beast, something that Count Dregon could control. By triumphing Dex had effectively handed his enemy control of the Masked Rider powers.

"Dex come on buddy," Skull begged as he tried to lead the Mutant Rider away from the population centre.

Meanwhile Bulk was keeping the rest of Dregon's forces at bay.

"Now would be a god time to call that grandfather of yours and ask for some advice," Skull continued. "Dex?"

The response came in the form of a powerful swipe. Sparks flew from Skull's armour as the mutant tried to cut him in half. A punch to the jaw had Skull flying through the air, cursing that the monster had somehow learnt to master the Rider Punch.

"We don't want to hurt you Dex," Bulk warned as he cut through the last Maggot with his axe. "But you wouldn't want us to let you hurt people."

"You must take back control Dex," Lexian urged.

"How?" Dex asked.

"You must control your thoughts and emotions," the old king explained. "You control the power of the Masked Rider, it does not control you. Take back control Dex, conquer your fear and embrace the change for what it is: an opportunity."

"But what is this thing?"

"It is a part of you Dex, a part of your heritage that the Masked Rider powers unlock everytime you transform. Like the Super Blue and Super Gold transformations, it can be a great asset in your war against Dregon, but only if you command it. Embrace it Dex, seize this opportunity and let the Masked Rider evolve."

Evolution, that was what it was all about. Dex remembered how in the past the Masked Rider powers had seemed to behave oddly, allowing him to grow to giant size or in one instance changing the appearance of both his armour and of Chopper. Super Blue and Super Gold had been technical enhancements to his powers, it seemed that this was a change brought about through his bloodline or maybe the power source from which the Ecto-Accelerator drew its power.

"I must take back control!"

And in his mind Dex found himself facing the creature that had taken control of his body. This was the Masked Rider that relied only upon its Edenite heritage. A creature of instinct and violence. A creature that had noticed him and was already charging.

But as he ducked the first swipe of its deadly forearm claws, Dex realised that this was his mind. And here he could call on the power of the Masked Rider. And so he did so, allowing the power of the Masked Rider to shape itself to his need, coating him not in the black and green armour he was used to, but rather a shinier all green armour.

And then they clashed, the raw power of a devolved Edenite against the skill, training, magic, technology and heritage of the Prince of Edenoi. Rider Punch against Rider Punch, Rider Kick against Rider Kick. Both were exceptionally powerful, but while the monster allowed its anger to drive it that was all it had. While Dex drew upon the knowledge that his family, his friends needed him to regain control and to stop Dregon. That determination drove him onward, adding extra force to each punch he delivered.

"Rider Kick!"

And as his foot connected with the mutant, Dex knew that he had won. It was time to return to the real world and help his friends.

"Mask Rider, Super Green!"

With that call, the devolved body of the Edenite mutant vanished as solid armour replaced living exoskeleton and Super Green was born.

Onyx  
January 1998

The inaugural meeting of the United Alliance of Evil that had not progressed as he had foreseen. The return of Lord Zedd while welcome had disrupted the proceedings as the revived villain had demanded the return of territory taken in his absence. That had led to other old disputes being dragged up as some factions almost came to blows. And even when they had settled under the pressure of his dominant visage, there had been some too ignorant to respect his authority.

The Grand Monarch could have cursed his agent for taking so long to complete his task and risking exposure. In fact Dark Specter had cursed him; he had almost obliterated him as punishment for his failure and as a warning to those he might have inspired. But in the end he had spared him. For while he had failed to remain undetected, he had brought with him a prisoner that would allow Dark Specter to triumph.

The problem was that it had shown some of the others that the prizes they had at one time pursued were still obtainable. And that in turn had led to speculation that they could make similar attempts and perhaps wrest control of the United Alliance of Evil from his control. And while he knew that in such a struggle he would stand triumphant, it would be at the loss of several major players he had been counting on as pawns in his little game.

That was why he had decided to overlook some of the minor empires that had ignored his command to attend the meeting. While the more powerful factions were distracted by their petty rivalries, he was willing to let a few insignificant villains try their hand at invading the Earth. They would most likely fail, but if they succeeded, he would tear their prize from them and use them as an example. Most importantly, he would be protected; Dark Specter understood the power of the planet Earth. He had seen how the planet's magic bolstered positive feelings such as love, creating them where they did not exist, bolstering them where they did. Even the most wicked villain attacking the small world was doomed to become a victim of the planet's magic, becoming a poor reflection of the villain he had once been. Rita and Zedd were prime examples of just how far a villain could fall; Dregon had pretty much turned into a joke.

Yes it was far better to allow the smaller factions to try their luck. If they got lucky, he would then claim their victory on behalf of the entire United Alliance of Evil. And as the ruler of the UAE, that meant the Grand Monarch would claim the Earth for himself.

A commotion drew his attention and he sighed when he noticed the source. It seemed two witches had decided to settle their disputes with a magical duel. The problem was that they were equals and had the same limited number of spells at their disposal. What had started with curses had descended into hair pulling and clawed nails. Assuming his more intimidating form he growled at the pair, relishing the way they broke apart. It was a shame that the moment his back was turned they would resume their fighting. He shook his head and called the meeting back to order. It was going to be a long day.

_"News in from Japan where government sources have confirmed that Ultratech Soldiers were dispatched earlier today to combat what appears to be another monster attack. Official sources confirmed that the monster was taken down and has been removed for further study. No comment has been made about the apparent loss of two soldiers during the incident. The Japanese Government is expected to give a formal report on the incident to a closed meeting of the United Nations within the next few days._

When the various villains invading the planet Earth had received orders to attend Dark Specter's meeting, they had complied. However while Rita had been sure to take her most prized possessions and Mondo had seen to it that anything he left behind could not be used by a competitor, Divatox had simply upped and left. In her haste she hadn't even thought to cancel the bounty she had placed on the Turbo Rangers. Or maybe she had remembered and decided to leave it there on the off chance that one of her mercenaries got lucky. Regardless of her reasons, the Turbo Rangers had found themselves having to clean up the Streets of Angel Grove.

Surprisingly in Divatox's absence the bounty hunters had actually managed to organise themselves. There wasn't an established leadership or an outright plan. Although there was an agreement that they would not undermine each other once they agreed whose turn it was. And by decide they meant long sessions of drinking the most toxic space liquor and bragging about their abilities. There was no doubt that each considered themselves the best at something, even if in one case that was knowing the difference between a tree and a shrub.

So far the Turbo Ranger's had battled the best chef, the best hedge trimmer and the best burglar in the Universe. None had been that difficult for the teens to overcome although the chef had put Tasha off broccoli for life. And as the days passed and it became clear that wherever Divatox had gone she would not be returning anytime soon, the Turbo Rangers had come to accept that they were going to be the team known for their easy wins over low calibre opponents; it was almost embarrassing.

But despite how useless the majority of those left behind were, there were still some signs of hope. Porto had been working on a secret project before leaving and unable to complete the final stages himself, had located a qualified instructor. It had been the instructor's job to train Porto's candidates into the seasoned warriors needed to defeat the Power Rangers Turbo. Sadly it seemed that Master Spank'Em had been angered to the point where he was willing to destroy his two charges.

Angel Grove

_"You look exhausted," Trini remarked as she sat down at the table across from Sydney. _

_"I am exhausted," Sydney answered, peeling an orange. "I'm still remembering stuff, and... some of it isn't pleasant. I didn't sleep real well because of it." _

_"Remembering stuff?" Trini asked, taking a bite of her cereal. "What do you mean?" _

_"It's a long story, but I don't mind telling you if you're ready. It's gonna shock you, though." _

_"Very little shocks me anymore," Trini told her. _

_Sydney started to begin her tale, but another memory suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks. She jerked her gaze to the microwave nearby, where the digital display revealed the time was 7:31 a.m. "Oh God." _

_"What?" _

_"Trini, please trust me. You have to morph and go to the Zord Holding Bays, right now." _

_"Wh-?" _

_"Right now!" Sydney cried. "Please, just trust me!" _

_Trini, admittedly shocked at her adopted sister's outburst, nonetheless nodded her head and shouted, "It's Morphin Time!" As yellow energy crackled behind her, she thrust her morpher out and cried, "Saber-Tooth Tiger!" _

_Sydney caught a glimpse of the armoured Yellow Morphin Ranger, and then, Trini was whisked away in a yellow teleportation beam. "Please don't be too late," she pleaded. _

_When Trini materialized, she did not find herself standing in the middle of the massive Zord Holding Bays. Instead, she was standing in the burning wreckage of the destroyed Zord Holding Bays. Large fragments of their Zords lay everywhere, utterly demolished. Smoke was billowing up in great black clouds, and the sky was stained orange from the burning debris. _

Justin Stewart awoke with a start, cursing yet another night of interrupted sleep. It had been going on since the start of the year. It was never the same dream and he would not class them as scary, just deeply disturbing and more than a little confusing. In his dreams he always saw the Power Rangers, but rarely were they the Rangers he knew. Sometimes their names were different. Sometimes that had different powers or teammates. He had had one dream where Tanya had been the Purple Morphin Ranger and Aisha had been something else altogether.

But he wasn't sure what this dream represented. Was it a warning, a glimpse of how things might be, or just a dream? He wasn't sure. However as his alarm sounded he was sure that this was going to be another long day.

The one thing worse than ridiculous monsters taking up their leisure time was boring lessons. The voice of the teacher droned on and one, making her students yearn for the lesson to end just to escape to a more exciting class. It wasn't that Mrs Finn was a bad teacher. Most of the time her lessons were enjoyable, however the curriculum had turned to Trigonometry and after the introduction to the subject, the lessons had grown duller as she explained the application of all they had learnt. To be fair it would have been difficult for any teacher to make it fun. Still even knowing that the next lesson would be more interesting did little to improve their attentiveness.

"And so, when you have a right triangle, what formula is used to describe the cosine of the angle." Mrs Finn surveyed her classroom, eyes narrowed. "Moose!"

The heavyset boy startled, almost falling out of his chair. "What?"

"Can you tell me the formula used to determine the cosine of an angle in a right-angled triangle?"

"Uhh- baby formula?" the bully replied. Most of the class giggled.

"No." Mrs Finn scanned the room. "Fred Kelman. Can you answer the question?"

"Um,- no, ma'am," Fred replied. The teacher sighed.

"Justin Stewart." It wasn't a question. Justin, Fred, Tasha, Rosa and Franklin were the top students in her class and while the other four found it a challenge, she sometimes thought that Justin held himself back more than he let on. The blue-clad genius looked up from his notebook.

"Adjacent over hypotenuse," he answered before returning to whatever he was studying. Mrs Finn was certain it was not the work on the board.

"Correct." Mrs. Finn turned back to the board when a strange sound caught her ear. Turning around, she saw her students grimacing, but no obvious source of the noise. Shrugging it off as just one of those things, she continued teaching to her increasingly inattentive class.

There were a few like Justin who enjoyed the challenge of the subject, but for the others it was just plain difficult. As some fell asleep and others gazed out the window, wishing the class would end, they failed to notice the increasingly agitated figure who had decided to inspect their classes.

The Moon

Scarlet slammed into villain at full speed, drawing his sword as he did so. His opponent hardly reacted to the force of the body blow as he skilfully redirected the sword with his sabre. From there Scarlet fond himself on the defensive as his enemy showed the many eons of practice that marked him as a master swordsman. Still Scarlet while not exactly holding his own was able to prevent the wicked warrior from slicing him to pieces. He was rewarded for his endurance by a fierce kicked to the abdomen followed by a slice to the left leg that pierced the protective material of his uniform. At least that had provided Silver the time needed to get into position and open fire.

Master Spank'Em appeared momentarily surprised when Silver opened fire upon him and silently congratulated his Scarlet opponent for distracting him. But as he humiliated himself by ducking the first of the two shots, he proved himself the master combatant by using his sword to redirect the second shot into the recovering Scarlet. He could almost see the surprise of Scarlet's face behind the now cracked helmet, but set aside his gloating as he charged at Silver.

Silver responded as he was expected to: by firing continuously at the villain as he closed the gap. Silver and Scarlet were a team but Scarlet was better suited to close combat while Silver was more effective when laying down covering fire. Not that their positions could not be reversed. Silver could hit harder than Scarlet, but he was less likely to connect with a blow due to his slower speed. When it came to firepower though Silver could direct his shots in ways that Scarlet could not hope to match.

That Master Spank'Em managed to dodge and counter every shot that came his way was impressive. But Silver was not foolish enough to let an enemy get so close if he wasn't sure he could blast him. In an instance he replaced his twin pistols with a less advanced battle hammer and attacked. His first shot actually connected, damaging Master Spank'Em and shocking the villain enough that he didn't notice the second blow until it had connected with his head. By that time Scarlet had recovered enough to catch up and the two Rangers attacked simultaneously, refusing to become the victims for Master Spank'Em to show to his classes.

"Enough of this!" Master Spank'Em declared.

In a whirlwind of movement he managed to misdirect and disarm both Rangers. His sabre and feet made short work of Silver and he felt a sense of delight as he swung for the Ranger's throat. Only to find Scarlet's sword blocking his way. His attention shifted to Scarlet and in the process allowed Silver to draw his pistols to fire into the villain's chest at close range. As the villain landed on the ground, Scarlet was already in motion, his sword shifting through the air as he delivered the cutting blow to the villain's neck.

"Cease!"

Despite their victory, both Rangers obeyed immediately, not seeming to notice their fallen foe as he exploded. Of course he was just a machine created to fill in for their real teacher as Master Spank'Em stepped from behind the wall where he had observed the battle.

"Your skills have shown a dramatic improvement," he told them. "However there is still room for improvement. Scarlet Lightning, you have been taught to use all parts of your body, not just your sword. You could have easily used a few kicks to stagger your opponent. And you, Scarlet Storm, did well to vary your assault, but should have moved between shots. Still your improvements are acceptable."

Secretly he was very impressed with the skills they had shown. He had heard about Divatox's recent plan to create her own team of Turbo Rangers. The plan had failed, but Porto had at least installed a failsafe to make sure the powers could never be used against the Dianthe. Scarlet Lightning and Silver Streaker were a secret side project that Porto had been developing. He had secured the means to create two Turbo Keys that worked in the same way as those of the Turbo Rangers. He had then tied their power to the same energy source as the Turbo Rangers, drawing it through a pair of large Zord-like machines before directing it into their transformation devices. The Speed Force generator in Lightning Cruiser powered Scarlet Lightning and Storm Blaster did the same for Silver Streaker.

Unlike the previous attempt, Porto had not searched for capable martial artists. He had chosen two humans with suitable personalities and had hired Master Spank'Em to turn them into skilled combatants and loyal members of the Dianthe; loyal only to Divatox and Porto of course.

"For now you are to work on your 'joint' tactics. I will have a test arranged for you later. If you pass I will allow you to introduce yourselves to the Power Rangers."

The two Rangers bowed as Master Spank'Em walked away to make some arrangements. That had led him to seek out the Turbo Rangers so that he could study them further.

Angel Grove

He had intended to remain hidden, but after observing the Turbo Rangers for a short time, he had remembered why he had been so angry before.

"I say, desist this outrageous behaviour at once!" Spank'Em bellowed, revealing himself in the process. He had spent the morning observing the Power Rangers and their classmates. The lack of respect for their teacher, their inability to pay attention and their obvious ignorance left him feeling outraged.

The class turned, most screamed while the five Turbo Rangers were on their feet ready to fight. In the chaos nobody noticed their teacher had fainted. Before them stood what could only be described as a monster. He looked like he had been created from a part of the classroom since they could see chunks of wall surrounding his chalkboard upper body. His right arm was made up from a combination of geometry tools and a text book with pencils acting as fingers while his right arm appeared to be a coloured pencil. Although given the bandolier it was likely some form of weapon. His lower body looked like somebody had stolen a teacher's desk. Little did they realise that Spank'Em had been created by using one of Rita's wands and an abandoned classroom. Fred noticed that the mortar board on his head had seen better days and that the cane he carried looked especially painful.

"How dare you ruffians show such disrespect your magnificent teacher by daydreaming and fooling around behind her back. Have you no respect for the knowledge she seeks to impart upon you? No, this is quite, quite unacceptable. Clearly standards in Angel Grove are not high enough and need rigorous enforcement. So, prepare yourselves, for I am taking over this rabble you call a class. My name is Spank'Em and I am a most respected instructor of disobedient youths. Now, you shall all sit and write the line: I must be attentive in class because failing to do so wastes my teacher's valuable time and disrupts the learning process of those around me. One billion times should suffice."

"And what if I don't want to write some stupid lines?" Moose asked. He was not particularly brave, but he really hated schoolwork.

"Then you risk suspension," Spank'Em replied.

He waved his can in Moose's direction and the bully found himself suspended over a flaming pit.

"Do I make myself clear?"

Moose nodded as quickly as his head would allow and when the monster released him, he crawled back into a corner, trembling.

"Hey you can't do that!" Tasha yelled. The other Turbo Rangers were at her side, glaring at the monster.

"Do you mind?" Spank'Em growled in reply. "You are disrupting my lesson plan."

As he finished his little speech, a black vortex opened in the middle to the classroom.

"Run!" Fred bellowed.

Their fellow students didn't need to be told twice, and ran out the door, sounding the alarm for the rest of the school as they did so. In their haste they missed Fred, Justin, Tasha, Rosa and Franklin as they were swallowed in the dark vortex.

The five Turbo Rangers found themselves in a smaller version of the school gymnasium. Before they could consider their surroundings too much, they were struck from behind by a collection of heavy medicine balls. Realising that this was a game of dodge ball they did not want to lose, the five Rangers spread out, avoiding a few hits as they did so, but still clearly outnumbered by an enemy they could not see.

"We need to morph," Fred decided after being knocked to the ground for the third time. "Shift into Turbo!"

The Rangers made the familiar movements needed to activate their powers, only to be struck at the precise moment they needed to insert their keys. A further bombardment sent them scattering for cover, the idea of morphing forgotten as they realised the balls were getting larger and more powerful if the holes in the gymnasium floor were an indication.

"Pathetic," Spank'Em told them as he emerged from the other side of the gymnasium. "I thought I had impressed on you that I am a professor. I teach uncouth students such as you daily and I make it a point to study the academic records of those I seek to educate. I am aware that you are the Power Rangers Turbo. I am also aware of how you activate your powers, how long it takes to does so and the stages at which you are vulnerable. My knowledge is more than sufficient to render your abilities useless. The theme for today is violence..."

He struck out with his cane, slapping the Rangers' hands, causing them to drop their Turbo Keys.

"And homework will be set..."

He produced a pair of large board erasers and banged them together, covering the Rangers in a cloud of white chalk that made the gasp for air.

"I'm going to teach you brats a lesson, one that you'll never forget!"

Another swipe of his cane sent the Rangers flying back into the wall of the gym while he set his sights on the Turbo Keys, much to Tasha's annoyance.

"Hey those are ours!"

A swipe of his cane sent an energy bolt hurtling toward Tasha, which fizzled out an inch from her face.

"Students should be aware that it is school policy to confiscate any little toys they decide to play with during class time." With a gesture the keys flew into his hand and he secured them in a box. "You may have them back when this lesson is over. Provided of course that you survive."

As he finished speaking a group of Piranatrons appeared. Master Spank'Em had found them scavenging around his training camp and after taming them had decided they would make practice material for his two Ranger. Unfortunately Scarlet Lightning and Silver Streaker were now at a level where the fishy soldiers no longer offered them a challenge. So Spank'Em had liberated them to help him test the Turbo Rangers.

"Since this is a gym class, you may start by warming up. And as a little incentive... if you run fast enough you might not get eaten. Piranatrons, show these brats what a school is really like."

Fred was quick to pick up on the monsters intentions as he pulled the others to their feet. "Run!"

_And in other news, INET stocks have rocketed following the successful launch of their new Copernicus Personal Computer range. The company received praise for its decision to donate samples of its Copernicus 2000 Personal Organiser to students within the California School System._"

In a small office a lone figure watched the report with interest before turning to other matters. Copernicus was just a small step in a grand journey.

His name was Goyle and he was angry. Actually he was hungry but hunger easily translated to anger in his case. He had been stalking the depths of the Lunar Palace, eating anything that was remotely edible and blundering into the various magical objects Rita had left behind. His close encounter with her old wands had sent them hurtling toward the Earth. He wanted food, he wanted to take his anger out on somebody. His rage fed his power, causing him to grow and teleport to Earth as the Power tried to grant his wish.

Being a Ranger inevitably had side effects. It was common knowledge on other worlds that those that wielded the Power were often attracted to clothing of a certain colour. Lesser known effects were the Power's desire to make its avatars as strong as they could possibly be. Not only did that lead Rangers to workout and exercise to stay in shape, it led to easier muscle development. It also activated latent abilities such as telepathy, empathy and natural magical talents. In truth living on a Ley Line had already ensured that most of those living in Angel Grove with any sort of psychic talent became more aware of what was going on.

For the Turbo Ranger it was not so straightforward. They were Power Rangers by Zordon's declaration, but their powers came not from magic like the Morphin Rangers and indirectly the Zeo Rangers, but from the Speed Force: another extra-dimensional energy force that interacted but remained separate from the Power. Although similar, the slight differences meant that the side effects also varied. For instance the Turbo Rangers felt a strong desire not only to train in combat, but also to build up their natural speed and stamina.

An important feature of the Turbo powers was their ability to radically change the shape of the person using the powers. Every morpher enhanced the body to a degree, but the Turbo powers actually caused their avatar to grow taller. The reason it could perform such a radical change was that unlike the Morphin and Zeo Rangers, the Turbo Rangers partially merged with the Speed Force during their transformation, their physical bodies transforming into energy contained within their suits. And despite appearances, when they powered down, some of that connection always remained within their bodies; a part of them remained within the Speed Force.

It was that combination training and residual energy that kept the Turbo Rangers ahead of their pursuers. Well that and the general stupidity of the Piranatrons that hadn't considered just stopping as the Turbo Rangers led them in circles.

"Get ready," Franklin advised as they completed another circuit. Up ahead were the climbing ropes, just what the Turbo Rangers needed. "Now!"

The five Rangers grabbed the ropes, using them to swing upward slightly before heading back toward their pursuers. The Piranatrons lacked the intelligence to react quickly enough as they were kicked by their prey. The Turbo Rangers were quick to take advantage, suddenly using their environment to their benefit, tripping the bungling fish soldiers over pieces of equipment they had moved into place during their supposedly panicked retreat. The fight was surprisingly short lived, ending when Tasha and Rosa managed to trap the fish soldiers in the back of a soccer net.

"And that concludes your first lesson," Spank'Em announced as the Rangers tried to catch their breath. "Now for the second lesson: Basic Mathematics. I have already subtracted your powers from this little equation and I added to the danger. So now I guess we need to divide you all up and then your problems will really start to multiply."

"Hey!" Tasha complained. "Fred's the one that handles the bad jokes."

"Yeah!" Fred agreed before he realised what she had said. "Hey!"

"Enough! It is time for your next class."

Sparks erupted around them, causing the Rangers to shield their eyes. As a result they never noticed when the floor disappeared and they dropped into the new horrors Spank'Em had prepared for them.

When Spank'Em had first appeared, the Power Chamber's computer had tried to summon the Turbo Rangers only to discover the teenagers were already engaged with the monster and that Angel Grove High School had been taken over. The computer's second protocol to summon all other active and inactive Rangers had failed because there were no other Rangers available. With no other choice it had used a list of extended contacts to summon Bulk, Skull and Prince Dex as the closest thing to a Ranger team on the planet. Together Dex and his two trainees had tried to discover a way in and learn the fate of the students trapped inside. The discovery that Spank'Em had put the majority of them under a spell and was forcing them to write lines became more of a concern when they realised the lines were not written in a language found on earth.

Before they could investigate too far, the alarm sounded again, this time warning of a monster attack in one of Angel Grove's neighbouring cities.

"Aw man he's already huge," Tommy complained as the Viewing Screen showed Goyle tearing his way through the city.

"This is Goyle," Dex told them. "The computer says that he was a low class mercenary with a high opinion of himself."

"Well it seems his opinion might have been correct," Skull commented.

"I am detecting some unusual energy readings from Goyle," Dex warned. "We wll need to be very careful when engaging him."

The trio winced as the monster unleashed an energy wave that destroyed one of the nearby buildings.

"How are we going to fight him anyway?" Skull complained. "He's huge!"

"I've convinced the computer to let us borrow some of the Zords'" Dex replied. "Ectophase Activate!"

Angel Grove

~This is not my lucky day,~ Franklin decided as he took in the monster before him.

Franklin assumed he had lost awareness at some point after the gymnasium. He remembered being bombarded by dodge balls, but it was evident his surroundings had changed without him realising it. He had found himself in a high walled maze constructed of stone and some sort of reflective material. It was not glass, he had discovered that when he had tried to break one of the mirrored sections in the hope of finding a way out hidden behind. A voice had promised him that the only way out relied upon him reaching the centre of the maze and that doing so would require him to face countless traps and dangers. He had also guaranteed the young Ranger that if he didn't succeed within five minutes then the walls would collapse and crush him.

And so Franklin had raced to the centre of the maze following the methods his father had taught him long ago of always choosing the left turn wherever that was an option. There had been traps and dangers just as the mysterious voice had warned, and with each turn he heard the walls behind him collapse, blocking any chance of backtracking more than a few turns. He quickly learnt that whatever danger he was about to encounter would emerge from the reflective material. Despite everything he had made it to the centre, only to discover that the lesson was designed to teach Franklin a little history about the planets where gladiators were forced to run through dangerous tunnels only to emerge exhausted and then expected to fight a huge beast.

The creature wasn't a minotaur. Franklin wasn't sure exactly what it was, but he had read enough mythology to know what a minotaur looked like. What he could say for certain was that it was extremely angry as it charged toward him, striking out with a barbed tail. He ducked to the side, causing the creature to collide with one of the reflective panels. Surprisingly both the monster and the wall mirror shattered before reforming as a bigger creature.

"Didn't you know it's unlucky to break a mirror?"

Desperate for a way out his eyes fell upon the large timer that had been set up to taunt him. The seconds were ticking down fast. And that gave Franklin and idea. The next time the monster tried to strike him, Franklin moved, climbing up its back and then using its head to jump up on top of the walls just as they started collapsing on the hapless beast. He let go as the rubble settled, landing on top of the collapsed walls. It seemed his lesson had concluded.

"Oh we haven't even begun Laddie!" Franklin turned and found himself facing a large humanoid shaped mirror. "Mirror Master at your service. And this will reflect on your final grade."

Tasha found herself in a small cell. Her arms were secured behind her back with what she assumed were handcuffs. There were three solid walls to her cell. The forth wall was a barred door made from some sort of energy. She didn't need to approach the crackling bars to know that they would disintegrate anything that touched them. Outside the door she saw the keys hanging from a small hook in an attempt to taunt her.

"Amateurs," she muttered. She was almost insulted.

Ignoring the stone bed the lay on one wall and looked as if it would collapse should she attempt to sit or lie upon it, Tasha leant against one of the other walls. She stood on her left leg while raising her right leg behind her back as far as she could until she could tap the sole with her hand. She heard a small click and was thankful that she had been able to convince Alpha to alter the boots he had created for her after a previous misadventure. They now contained a secret compartment where she was able to hide a few tools. With a small shake of her foot she released the contents, a set of lock picks and a piece of shiny metal about the size of a credit card. She quickly located the correct pick and using her experience of less wholesome pastimes, successfully opened one side of her shackles.

With one arm free she was able to get a look at her restraints. She had been right to feel insulted, she had been secured using a cheap pair of handcuffs. Now she could see the restraints, unlocking the other side took little effort and she threw them into the energy bars, confirming that the bars were indeed set to destroy anything they touched.

That was where the piece of metal came in handy. It was made from one of the materials used to coat the Zords. As such it was high resistant to damage and highly reflective. By angling it correctly under one of the bars, she was able to deflect the destructive energy long enough to reach through a grab the key. Why the key for an energy barrier had been made to resemble a door key with a small button on the end she would never know. But as the bars disappeared, she stepped out in search of her friends.

Now in a larger room she immediately noticed a large safe. Hoping that the Turbo Keys would be hidden inside, she made her way over and tried to open the lock.

"Didn't your parents teach ya not to steal?"

She whirled around, ducking out of the way as something whizzed passed her head. More projectiles followed and she found herself running around the room, dodging behind anything she could find only to discover the projectiles could change course.

"Boomerangs?" she asked as she rolled to the left. "You're throwing boomerangs? Oh!"

At that moment she caught a glimpse of her attacker. Shaped like a giant boomerang, he wore a corked hat and a blue jacket with three stripes on the arm.

"Have to keep to the theme, don't I?" he replied. "Captain Boomerang's the name."

He flung his hand in Tasha's direction and five boomerangs tore through the air, destroying anything they touched.

"Should have stayed in your cell Sheila," Boomerang told her. "That decision will come back to haunt you."

While Franklin had been left to find his way through the labyrinth and Tasha had finally proven that her skills as a cat burglar could be useful as a Ranger, Rosa had found herself in the middle of a snowfield. Ice, frost and snow was everywhere, causing her to shiver from the chill. The ground beneath her was slippery and she quickly discovered that the ground was cold enough to burn.

"No way!"

She quickly realised that the frozen landscape was in fact Angel Grove High School. She could see some of the other students and their teachers seemingly frozen in place. Luckily it did not look as though they had been literally turned to ice.

"Don't worry, they won't freeze to death," a voice said.

She turned, slipped and caught herself just as a ball of ice hit her in the shoulder, throwing her back to the ground. Before her stood a man made of ice. He wore a captain's uniform and a fur parka. It was clear though that this monster was not human.

"My name is Captain Cold," he explained, unleashing a blast of ice at one of the benches. It froze on contact before shattering. "And I can make things very cold."

What followed was a very one sided game of dodge. Rosa knew she was being herded, played with as she dodged to avoid the icy blasts sent her way. Some shots just turned the area to icicles, while others disintegrated anything they froze. Remembering something from one of the books her brother loved to read, she lured the villain into the school, grimacing when one shot took out the side of the building. She ran through the building, aware that the floors were not as slippery as they had been outside.

She dodged left and watched as the lockers that had been there crumbled before ducking into a door where students were not supposed to go; the boiler room. She knew the heat would not deter her pursuer; his freezing powers would rapidly cool the warm environment. However when she opened a steam valve in his face and he winced in pain, she knew she had the upper hand. She ducked passed him back into the hallway, relying on his anguish to make him follow her. The steam had hopefully taken the edge off his powers. It had certainly melted a part of his face. He fired a less powerful blast at her just as Rosa set off the sprinklers, turning his powers against him before racing out of the school in search of her friends.

"That wasn't very nice," Captain Cold declared, reforming in front of her. "Now I don't normally hurt children, but I think I should put you on ice."

Rosa looked for somewhere to run and noticed a bright flame on the far side of the school. With a nod to herself she set off in that direction.

The sports field was on fire. Moments earlier it had been frozen, but as Justin had started to take a tentative step forward, flames had erupted, melting the ice and snow, an igniting anything it could. Luckily when the ice melted it made everything wet, preventing the fire from catching. Still things were getting hotter and Justin wondered if he had been transported to some sort of hell dimension.

Then a voice had spoken to him, revealing a simple challenge. All Justin had to do was run from one side of the field to the other, without being set alight by the red hot running surface. As a Ranger such a feat would have been easy enough. Turbo Rangers could move at high speed and their uniforms offered protection against heat. Unfortunately Justin did not believe that his trainers would offer the same protection.

"It's your choice," he was told. "Run across the hot coals and risk being set alight, or remain where you are and roast like a pig."

It was possible to channel the powers of a Ranger without a morpher. Some of the older Rangers had done it before and Justin knew tat some of his Turbo powers had leaked into his unmorphed body over time. However there was a much greater risk channelling the Power of Turbo directly due to the effect it had on their bodies. When morphed the Turbo Rangers atoms became so energised that their bodies were transformed into a semi solid state. That was why the Turbo Rangers were capable of growing when morphed. The problem was that their bodies did not limit how much energy they could draw like they would for magic. If they used the powers without their suits they risked speeding up their molecules to the point where they dispersed into nothingness.

Still he had little choice if he wanted to survive. And so remembering how the Power of Turbo felt, he started running. The result was disappointing. He survived the run, covering the distance in a time that would have had the coaches begging him to become a part of the team. However the power did nothing to preserve his shoes, which caught fire midway through the run, or his jeans which were a charred mess. It did prevent him from being burnt.

"If you think that was bad, I'm just warming up."

Justin groaned as he caught sight of the monster. Resembling a large firefighter, his body was ringed by flames. Without a second thought he ran as fast as he could around the school, hopin to find some more ice as he dodged the powerful fireballs.

"Justin!"

He looked up in time to see Rosa heading his way, pursued by an ice monster.

"Rosa!" he called back, warning her as the ice villain unleashed another attack.

"Duck!" the cried at the same time.

They both dropped to the ground as Heat Wave and Captain Cold hit each other. They scrambled out of the way as the two villains started arguing. It was time to find their friends and get their powers back.

By a strange coincidence, Tasha and Franklin had had a similar victory over their foes. The two Rangers had managed to find each other and had then fooled Captain Boomerang into striking Mirror Master with one of his projectiles. In the resulting argument the two Rangers had crept away, looking for the others and hoping nobody had gotten hurt.

Fred was hurt. While the others had been toyed with, he had been assaulted by Spank'Em and his two students. Star pupils Spank'Em had called them before launching and assault on Fred with his cane. The Red Ranger had dodged, countered and even disarmed the teacher, only for the two powered thugs to involve themselves. Fred had been thrown back to the ground.

There had then followed an extremely abusive game of keep away as the two students had thrown the box containing the Turbo Keys back and forth while Spank'Em tried to hit him with the cane. It quickly became clear that they were supposed to be evil Rangers although they didn't look like it. They looked a little too sinister to pass it off as humans under a spell.

In the end Fred decided that there was no way to get the box from them. Instead he turned hi attention to Spank'Em, surprising the teach with a vicious assault that proved why he was one of Tommy Oliver's favourite students. He stayed on the offensive, catching Spank'Em off guard long enough to snatch away the cane, which he then used to strike the teacher. His next move was to leap into the air, using the cane to strike the box, releasing the Turbo Keys. He landed and scrambled to grab his key, grinning triumphantly as he held it up.

"Shift into Turbo!"

"Do you feel that?" Franklin asked.

"Somebody just activated a Turbo Key," Tasha agreed, remembering the sensation.

They concentrated, using the resonance to find their way. And as soon as they locked on, they found themselves running through the hallways to join their friends.

"Is that?" Rosa asked.

Justin nodded. He too had felt the activation of the Turbo Key, the vibration alerting him to somebody drawing energy from the Speed Force.

"We need to get in there and get our powers back," he declared.

Rosa nodded and the two Rangers started running.

"So you have your powers back, it's still three against one," Scarlet pointed out.

"Make that three against three," Justin announced as he and Rosa stepped alongside their leader.

Inside his helmet Fred quirked an eyebrow. "What happened to you?"

"It's a long story," Justin answered, collecting his Turbo Key.

"Hey don't forget about us," Tasha warned as she and Franklin entered. "Your faculty are having a labour dispute," she told Spank'Em with a grin.

"Okay guys, let's put end to these classroom bruisers," Fred said.

"Right!" the others answered. "Shift into Turbo!"

Away from that confrontation, Mirror Master, Captain Cold, Captain Boomerang and Heat Wave had finally stopped fighting long enough to realise the Rangers had played them for fools. Realising that if they stayed there was a good chance they would be destroyed now the Rangers had their powers, the four teleported away, vowing to collect their bounty later. As they left, the effects of their powers disappeared, restoring the school to its previous condition. Almost.

"I can see that you have failed to learn your lessons," Spank'Em declared. "I shall have to dispense additional punishment."

The five Rangers adopted a ready stance while Spank'Em ushered his two students away, assuring them he would not be long.

"I must warn you Rangers that I have taken the opportunity to study your techniques. I know how you fight and there is nothing you can do that will surprise me," the teacher warned.

Red Turbo seemed to shrug as he lifted the cane he had taken earlier.

"Okay."

"What?" Spank'Em sputtered as the Red Ranger raced forward and struck him with his own cane.

The other Rangers were quick to follow their leader, proving something tat many teachers knew already: teenagers are vicious. At first he was able to anticipate their attacks, recovering swiftly enough to block Yellow Turbo's Star Charger knuckles. However when Pink, Blue and Green Turbo started launching distance attacks using their Turbo Power Weapons, while Red and Yellow Turbo attacked at close range, he found himself losing.

"Turbo RAM Cannon Mode!" the Rangers called.

Of course Spank'Em knew about their collective attack and was ready to block it. He had not expected the five Rangers to start running toward him as soon as they pulled the trigger, allowing them to attack him at close range with their side-arms. Off balance, he could only look up in resignation as the second blast from the Turbo RAM closed in.

A city close to Angel Grove

The battle was not going well for the the trio of Not-Quite-Rangers. Goyle was not the strongest nor smartest monster Dex had ever faced. However his ability to absorb damage and return any energy fired at him severely limited the damage the Masked Rider could inflict. Super Green had already taken the brunt of one of the energy blasts. And regardless of how tough Dex's powers were, Super Green was not a mode he used very often.

"Dex this is Fred," Red Turbo said. "Duck!"

The Masked Rider looked confused for a moment before they realised what his young friends had in mind.

"The Spin Out!"

As Dex reverted to his more familliar form and rejoined Bulk and Skull, the Turbo Megazord darted through the space he had previously occupied, driving the point of their blade into the monster causing him to explode and officially ending the battle.

"So Mr Caplan decided to give the entire student body a week off classes while they repair any damage to the school," Franklin explained as he sipped his smoothie.

"Seems that there was a lot of water damage," Justin agreed.

After the battle was over trio of stand in Rangers had returned to their normal routines after checking on any family that had been present at the school. The Turbo Rangers had regrouped at the Youth Center where they could discuss recent events. They knew that despite their victory, there were lot of loose ends. Spank'Em's underlings had not been destroyed and there were still those two evil Ranges to consider. Obviously if they had believed life would get easier in the year ahead they had been gravely mistaken. On the other hand: perhaps they wouldn't need to worry about going down in history as the the team that fought only goofy monsters after all.

He studied the human form he had developed and nodded in approval. Following the escape of the Turbo Rangers the four mercenaries known as Captain Cold, Captain Boomerang, Heat Wave and Mirror Master had agreed to remain until they could fulfil their contract. Since they did not want to sit around on the Moon, they had adopted human identities to allow them to move among the natives. Of course they lacked the means to support themselves financially, so had already discovered ways to use their skills to steal what they needed. They knew that such actions would liking draw the attention of the new Grand Monarch of Evil, but they hoped that whatever plans he had would mean that he would be to busy to worry about them. They were after all just Rogues.

The Moon

With a howl of pain Goyle reappeared in the Lunar Palace, his wounds completely healed. Somehow he had survived yet again where he should have been destroyed, but the pain was still all too real and he promised he would make the Turbo Rangers pay for the damage they had caused.

"You see, I was correct in my assumptions."

Goyle turned to find himself confronted by Spank'Em and his two evil Rangers. Spank'Em was still smoking from his encounter with the Turbo RAM.

"Goyle's heritage has made him unique to most forms of attack. He can be defeated but he will soon reform."

"My heritage?" Goyle asked.

"You were unaware of it?" Spank'Em asked, making a noise that clearly conveyed his disapproval. "Such ignorance. You are descended from one of the major demon lines. Bowzock I believe he was called. Clearly the intellect and leadership qualities have vanished over the generations, but the regenerative potential remains." He turned to his students. "Now can either of you suggest how Goyle's capabilities grow?"

"He gets stronger after each battle and even more powerful when he survives a defeat," Scarlet suggested.

"Essentially correct," Spank'Em agreed. "Anything that does not kill him forces his body to develop some form of protection. Should he encounter that Megazord again, he will defeat it. Alas that is also the reason we are here. Take him!"

On their teacher's command the two Rangers sped forward, striking the confused monster long enough to secure a collar around his neck.

"You are virtually indestructible," Spank'Em explained. "My pupils require further training and I am sadly no longer in a position to teach." That was true, while he showed them a brave face, he knew the damage inflicted would soon destroy him. However in his Dark rangers he had found a legacy and Goyle was the key to unlocking their potential. He just wished that he knew their real names. "Their skills have grown to the point where I would consider them a challenge. You will provide them with all the practice they require. And because following each battle you will grow stronger, they too will be forced to become more skillful. And when they reach the level I desire, where I know that my work as their teacher has been completed, I promise you will be allowed to make those Turbo Rangers pay. In the meantime, let the training begin!"

**End of Part**


	4. Revival

Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers, they belong to whoever currently owns the copyright. No profit is being made from this fan work. Ma'erok, the Warrior, Sorceress and Seer are based on Hellfire's creations, used without permission. Mera and Karayan take their names from characters created by Cynthia Harrell and Ulteema takes his name from Ultima from Matt's Samurai Rangers.

**Children of Chaos - Revival**

How do you build a prison to hold a god and if you could build such a thing where would you hide it? That was the question that Xanatox pondered as he observed the arrival of his master's forces. It was clear to him now after many hours of contemplation that Ma'erok had not been trapped on a planet with the rest his followers. The imprisonment of Xanatox and his peers had served only to prevent them from rescuing their master, which for Xanatox meant that his master could still be freed. But whatever means had been used to secure the Chaos Bringer would have been on an even greater scale than even the booby-trapped star of Pragmia that had held his most trusted servant.

~Did they fear him so much that they would go to any length?~ He wondered.

He knew the answer already. Of course they would have done anything to put an end to the threat he posed. And since Xanatox could not imagine any way for them to destroy his master, the only explanation was that they had managed to imprison him. But how do you imprison a being of chaos, whose nature bent the laws of nature and probability? It was something they would need to find out. But first there was the matter of his master's other servants to consider.

Beyond the boundaries of the Pragmia Void, change was on the horizon and that was a good thing. Xanatox relished change as long as it was uncontrolled. Uncontrolled change led to chaos, chaos led to destruction and destruction led to oblivion where everything had begun. And since that was the goal of his master, Xanatox welcomed it. While the new Grand Monarch planned his domination of the United Alliance of Evil and worked to transform its membership into a force that would establish a new order throughout the universe, Xanatox worked to find ways to bring about collapse of all structure. He was an agent of the force that had led to the destruction of previous versions of the universe and just as some villains claimed to be servants of greater demons dedicated to their cause of plunging the Universe into an age of darkness, so he was completely devoted to Ma'erok and his goal of plunging all existence into eternal darkness.

He didn't care about Good and Evil; to his mind they were tools to be used by the forces of Order and Chaos. And in the time he had been away it appeared that Order had firmly established itself as the driving force behind the conflict. If the so-called light emerged victorious they would have their rules, protections, voting and formal bodies. If evil triumphed then the universe would be dominated by dictators. Either way order would be established. And those few factions that were considered unlawful by those around them, they would be taught to obey the rules whether they wanted to or not. For Order was an oppressive force and Chaos was freedom.

There were of course many types of freedom. There was freedom from disease and persecution, freedom to speak and act without fear of persecution, and there was freedom to be. Xanatox saw himself as a messenger of freedom: freedom from the burdens of existence, freedom to simply fade away into the void.

When he had been released, he had sent out a message for comrades to return to Dark Star, knowing that only together would they be able to locate their master. It had taken time, but they had returned. The Sorceress, the Warrior, the Seer, the Avatars and the War Master. The six greatest servants of Ma'erok had finally arrived, bringing with them resources and knowledge. The first three he had welcomed without reservation. They had never waivered in their loyalty to their cause, even though that devotion had cost them. And then there were the others, those that had betrayed Ma'erok before his fall and had only come to understand their mistakes after their own imprisonment. Their existence offended Xanatox - for his loyalty to Ma'erok meant that he could not entertain any reason for such treachery.

He had scowled when Ulteema and Mera had arrived, bringing with them an army of creatures he recognised as being inspired Ma'erok's power. He wasn't fooled. No matter how mutated they appeared, they had been created for the purpose of conquest not as servants of his master's will. They were pale imitations of the beasts that he had designed. Karayan had appeared later, bringing with her the mighty Star Killer and its crew. Again he was unimpressed. These were soldiers and warriors, trained to obey and to conquer all in their path. It was not their master's way although he had to admit that the struggle she had to maintain control over the undisciplined crew did make her forces seem chaotic.

It was a lifeless planet where the many factions met. The link that had been established between the Dark Star and the Star Killer allowed him to leave his prison for a short time. He had a few hours at most before the temporary body created by the link started to breakdown. Once that started he had a limited time to return to the Pragmia Void, after which he had to wait before leaving again. So he was not in the mood for pleasantries.

"Chaos lives!," he proclaimed, assuming the role of High Priest of Chaos. In the absence of Ma'erok, he served as his master's voice, ensuring that his will continued to be carried out, his rules followed and his punishments handed down. His eyes glowed a dangerous shade of red as he observed the three traitors and their entourages.

For now he focussed on those that had returned. It displeased him to see how those that Mera, Ultima and Karayan brought with them lacked any belief in Ma'erok's goals. There was an abundance of loyalty, that much was clear. But it was misdirected and ill-informed. Such loyalty was in his opinion completely worthless. They represented armies, not disciples. It was a sign of how far the three had strayed from the path that Ma'erok had showed them. It was something Xanatox would correct.

"Some of you have forgotten your origins and abused your gifts," he said softly, allowing a little of his power to flow. "Perhaps I failed by allowing you to continue to stray from our master's side. I expected you to rally to Ma'erok's side in the final days, when it became clear that I was lost. Instead I learn you were leading your armies, playing at leadership."

The Warrior standing on his left side and the Sorceress standing on his left glared at the audience. However it was the vacant stare of the Seer, seated on the floor at his feet that truly unnerved them. And her gaze seemed fixed upon the kneeling forms of Mera, Ulteema and Karayan.

"Long ago our master chose his favourites and elevated us to stand by his side. But we are all equal in the presence of out lord, in his absence, some are more equal than others. We were tasked to step forth and spread the message of freedom. Instead some of us chose the path of oppression. Instead of destroying they chose to build, allowing their greed to subvert His will. And now you have returned, penitent and seeking His forgiveness. Ma'erok would not forgive and neither shall I."

He nodded at the Sorceress who in turn drew a curved knife and held it to his palm. He closed his hand around the blade and squeezed, causing the blood to flow.

"We have brought resources, soldiers for the cause," Mera begged. On her release she had been the mistress, the supreme power that held the power of life and death over those around her. But even she knew the power of Ma'erok and understood that in his absence, that power was held by Xanatox. The confidence she had known as the War Master of Star Killer had vanished.

"An army that is barely loyal to you," he answered. "An army that has no concept of our cause or our goals, that doesn't understand the whims and gifts of our master. An army that seeks order when we serve the Lord of Chaos."

He was interrupted by the Seer, he voice light and filled with childish delight. "The days of order are running out, the balance has been lost. Soon the balance will shift again and the Age of Chaos will truly begin."

Xanatox pulled his hand across the offered blade, drawing blood as he did so. He turned his wrist and opened his clenched fist. Then he blew, sending forth a fine purple mist towards the assembled crowd. It wasn't blood, not really. Purple goo would have been a better description. Somehow the mist managed to avoid Mera, Ulteema, Karayan and her loyal bodyguard Blade.

"You have assembled armies in our master's name and used them as your own. But they are born of chaos and to chaos they will turn."

He watched as the mist thickened, covering all it touched in a layer of slime. He heard the Sorceress begin her chant, guiding the sinister power that flowed through the goo to strip away the identities of those it enveloped. He noted that not even Star Killer, floating in orbit around the barren planet, had been left untouched.

"You Karayan are a disappointment," he explained. "Long ago I stood here as Ma'erok named you his War Master and gave you control of the Star Killer. I watched as he gifted you the charging crystal that controls your link to its systems and the Command Sceptre to use its power as your own. And I heard him order you to go forth and bring war wherever peace reigned. And instead of war you brought conquest. You took the three races by my hand, to assist you in carrying out our master's task and you turned them into mere soldiers."

He could see his blood was having the desired effect, breaking down the bodies of those before him on an atomic level. If he wished it he could have obliterated them, but that was not his intention. Instead he twisted the power the Sorceress called, stripping them back to the base forms from which he had shaped them. He remembered the madness that had led to their creation, a hellish vision his master had forced upon him.

"And so I shall take all that he gave you. Your precious crystal..." He pointed at the floor where some of his slime had pooled into a sickly black puddle. The crystal that Karayan used to communicate with Star Killer appeared in the middle of the puddle, soaking up the spilt blood as he severed her link with the mighty battle station. As he did so some of her crew started to cry out in pain, but Karayan's focus was on the puddle. "And now your staff..." He raised his still bleeding hand and summoned the staff to his grasp. The staff hissed and smoke in his goo-covered grip and then burst into flames as he destroyed the wayward servant's power. And with that Star Killer slipped completely from her mind.

"Please!" she begged. Even when she had been imprisoned, Star Killer had been a part of her mind. Its presence had done more to keep her mentally intact over the centuries than her own willpower.

By now the screams of her forces were too loud for her not to spare them a glance. What she saw was horrifying. His slime had triggered mutations among her crew. Hundreds of uncontrolled mutations, each one painful and unpredictable. Her forces were tearing their bodies apart to escape the pain it caused them. All had fallen but one, for her loyal Blade remained untouched.

"You abandoned your callings and now you return seeking that which cannot be given: my forgiveness. Star Killer is no longer yours to command, it has a new role to play."

As he spoke she noticed that Star Killer had also started to change. The metallic surface was started to look organic.

"Your staff is gone, burnt at my hand. Now all that remains is the final gift. Step forward, War Master."

Karayan did as he commanded, finally recognising his power for what it was. She had always claimed that she would kneel only to Ma'erok, but the truth was that while they were all servants to their lord, Xanatox was the oldest and the most favoured. Even if she survived she knew that there would be a high personal cost.

"You are free because a servant showed you the loyalty you failed to demonstrate," he stated. "And I sense that you promised his loyalty would lead to a long life?" He smiled cruelly. "Step forward, Blade."

Blade did as he was instructed. His devotion to the War Master was absolute, but here he saw a being even she deferred to. It was only right that he too offer his complete obedience.

"And now War Master Karayan," he said, handing her the blooded knife he took from the Sorceress, "prove your loyalty by destroying you most devoted servant."

He could see the internal struggle as Karayan debated whether or not to obey. It spoke a great deal of the debt she owed Blade that she hesitated so long, but in the end she was a creature of Ma'erok and Xanatox spoke with his voice. She obeyed. With a swift jab, she plunged the knife into his chest. His eyes opened in shock that she had betrayed him before closing in acceptance. And then they opened again, shocking her.

"No!"

The sudden despair was a sign that she understood the cost of her actions. She had betrayed her master long ago, now in an effort to prove herself worthy she had betrayed the trust of her most loyal servant, a man she had once gifted with a very special sword: Redemptionist's Embrace, a Rune Blade with a sharp edge and a deadly secret. If its owner was killed by any means other than his own hand, the runes engraved on the blade would strike, implanting the soul of the blade's dead wielder into the body of his killer. In this case that meant that by killing Blade, Karayan had destroyed herself. And from the look on Xanatox's face, he had been well aware of what would happen.

"Ma'erok never gifted you with followers Karayan," he said. "He you his War Master, a role you abandoned. Perhaps your servant can do better. As for you... Star Killer needs a mind to guide it." He gestured and the crystal glowed as her transferred her displaced soul into it, trapping her knowledge of how Star Killer operated without her conscious thoughts to direct it. "I'm sure you will fill that role."

With that he turned his attention to Mera and Ulteema, ignoring the obviously confused Blade.

"The only reason you have not joined Karayan in oblivion is because your betrayal was so unpredictable. Your attempts to bring order were truly chaotic and for that you shall be spared."

He glanced briefly at Blade's new body, noticing that the Sorceress had already started to reshape it. He knew that for a male to be trapped inside a female form would bring uncertainty, especially when that female body was being manipulated and transformed into a male form. Emotionally he imagined the strain along with the loss of his mistress must have been devastating.

"You shall both survive, but not as you are," he said. More goo flew from his hand and covered the siblings. "You shall return to the path and together you will prepare this Universe for the inevitable."

He watched them change, just as Blade had been altered by the terrible powers. Now Blade, Mera and Ulteema would help bring about the end in their own way. Blade would create war, Ulteema's very presence would bring dissent and discord, while Mera with her unique appearance would lure even the greatest hero to a wasteful end, corrupting the souls of those she targeted. And then there would be Star Killer, the destructive beast the size of a moon. While the other three undermined the efforts to stop the destruction, Star Killer would be physically destroying anything in its path. And those unfortunates that had once served as Karayans army and Mera and Ulteema's loyal subjects, would in future make up the first wave of attack. For now though he used his control over the Star Killer to transport them into the Pragmia Void where they would wait for their opportunity to serve after they had been taught their place.

He stumbled slightly. It seemed that the use of his power had shortened the time he could spend away from Pragmia. That was something he was sure his master would correct when he was located. For now Xanatox was satisfied that he had at least restored his master's forces to their correct state. But first they needed to find him.

"Look to where the end became the beginning and nothing changed," the Seer told him without prompting.

He knew what she meant. There had been an event shortly after or maybe even before his release that had led to the surge of interest in Pragmia. Cause and effect had broken down and time had twisted back on itself so that events had happened out of order.

"There is much to do," he told the sisters when the others had left. "I must know what happened to those that once opposed us: the Meledon and those wretched Maltusians. I must know more than our guests have shared. Prepare the ritual," he instructed, knowing that the sisters would interpret his command correctly. "I need answers. And then the three of you will free our master."

Whatever the reasons he was certain that Ma'erok would return and that when he did so, the Universe would be returned to the void from which it came, where it belonged.

**End**


	5. Stirrings in the Dark

Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers or any other show.  
Author's Note: Justin's dream comes from a story I wrote called Tale of the Fallen. It was a tribute to the Turbo Rangers in Ryuranger's Ultimate Power Rangers, a fanfiction series that I have enjoyed for a number of years.

**Stirrings in the Dark**

Somewhere on Earth

It was not much to look at, but given the resources he had had available, he felt he had worked wonders. Of course his master would not see it that way, he never did. And why should he when he expected so much more? But then the servant in question was a low grade copy of a faithful servant with a large part of its mind altered to remove the problems caused by morality and ethics. His master had thought to call him Egor after the character from the horror films he had seen. Riffraff had been a second choice before Useless and Worthless had proven more appropriate monikers. In the end it didn't matter what his master chose to call him, it was obvious by the disdain in his voice and the insults that followed who he was talking to.

And so it was in accordance with his master's wishes that the twisted servant lurched its way around the around the complex computers, overseeing the collection, sorting and final distribution of data as he had been instructed. When he finally identified the correct signal pattern he downloaded it into the waiting cubicle and awaited the punishment he knew would come. The process was painful and his master liked to express his discomfort forcefully.

"Arrgh!"

At first he had thought something had gone wrong as the teleport beam was absorbed into the waiting mass of oozing protoplasm within the radically altered healing tank. Then the noise grew in volume as the protoplasm started to moving, shifting its shape to resemble that of a humanoid. Facial features rapidly appeared as stained white robes appeared over the scarred skin. The light faded, leaving behind a humanoid covered in a green gloop as his body shook in obvious agony as the door to the healing chamber slid open and allowed him to tumble out.

At once the servant shuffled to his master's side, seeking to assist him in any way possible. For all the abuse he received his loyalty was absolute, a part of his conditioning and a few spells.

"That hurt!" his master snarled, slamming his fist into his underling's bowed head. the forceful blow sent it flying across the floor as the anger passed replaced by a wicked grin. "It worked! IT WORKED!"

"Particle retrieval has been completed, Sir," the servant reported. "All parties have been retrieved and validated. All chambers have been primed."

"All of them?" he asked, frowning slightly. "A pity, there were a few that could have done with missing some parts. Very well Zero, begin the restoration process. Bring back the chosen."

As downtrodden servant shuffled off to complete its task, blood oozing from its damaged head, his master took a moment to consider how fortunate they had been. During a recent training session, the Psycho Rangers had been ordered to teleport away, not realising that their ally had set up a barrier to scatter their molecules. Were it not for the machinery he had convinced Biilly to manufacture to retrieve the data from their teleport, they would have been lost. That the healing chamber he had emerged from had already sealed and refilled itself was a sign that it was already working as he had hoped.

And now the mighty Psycho Rangers had been forced to endure another change in circumstances, one they would never have accepted willingly. Their bodies were gone, destroyed by the destructive burst, but like the truly evil beings they strived to be, they survived and adapted. No longer beings of physical matter limited to a single form, the process had decoded their atoms and stored them as streams of raw data held on inconceivably large data drives Biilly had designed. So long as the data survived and there was a way to access it, the Psycho Rangers could continue to return. And since they no longer had to worry about their physical bodies, they would be even more ferocious in battle.

Of course in putting the plan into action Shinzon had cemented his role as the Psycho Rangers' mentor. Without him they could not control Zero, who was a vital component in the restoration process. Without Zero they were unable to decrypt the stored data. in the process the balance of power had also changed. Before Shinzon had held only a little influence over the group, relying on his origin to sway Biilly's opinions and his manipulation of a few key events to nudge things in the direction he desired.

Zero pressed a sequence of buttons and the apparatus flared to life once more, this time recreating a group of seven Psycho Rangers. From the discomfort they exhibited it was clear that the process was inherently painful for all who tried it, not just him, something he resolved to correct. It would not do to show weakness at the wrong time. Other than the discomfort it seemed the process had even managed to restore their artificial bodies without causing instability. He could have restored them all, but Biilly, Triini, Adaam, Kaat, Kiimberly, Aiisha and Roocky suited his purposes for the moment.

"Welcome back," he smiled, delighting in the irritation on Biilly's face and cautiously noting how it turned to a calculating stare. "As you can see Biilly, your machine worked on the first attempt. We are now not just powerful, we are immortal."

"Our bodies?" Kiimberly asked, clearly confused. He had deliberated altered parts of their bodies to make them uncomfortable.

"Were reduced to atoms," Shinzon told her.

"And you thought this was a good idea? You could have killed us!" Roocky snarled and Shinzon made a mental note that while not as near as bad a Jaason, Roocky still had the temperament of a Red Ranger.

"Fortunately those atoms were transformed into energy at the last moment and Biilly's creation was able to retrieve us," he continued, ignoring the outburst. "That energy was interpreted by the machinery and stored in a suitable format.

"So we're just data now?" Triini asked.

"Hardly," Biilly corrected her. "While teleportation does split the body into atoms and then duplicates all the information about those atoms ready to rebuild the original elsewhere, it is far more complex than a line of computer code. Consider it a fully decompiled string of DNA combined with our exact nature within the Morphing Grid. Once projected through a suitable medium our bodies were restored to exactly how they had been moments before we teleported."

The Morphing Grid was something that Biilly had made a point of studying. Most Morphin Masters and Power Rangers were interested in the Morphin Grid, the magical energy sources that gave them their powers. Very few studied the Morphing Grid, a mapping system that plotted the position of all energy throughout reality. Since atoms could be transformed into energy, that allowed a Morphin Master with the experience and equipment to locate any being or object. Admittedly the Morphing Grid was vast and so searches were limited, but Zordon had used such scans many times to locate disturbances or locate his Rangers. In fact the Command Center of old had been equipped to scan and monitor a large portion of the Morphing Grid relating to Earth and its neighbours.

~The universal energy field that links everyone and everything in the fabric of reality,~ Biilly thought, ~sounds like something I would see in the movies. But there is no denying it exists.~

"So we've been duplicated?" Adaam asked.

"Perhaps," Biilly replied. "Backed up would be a better way to put it. And thanks to this machine, our Resurrection Hub, we can be restored as many times as we need in order to defeat our enemies. The Machine Empire has been using a similar process for thousands of years. How else do you think Mondo has survived?"

He pointed to the chamber he had emerged from and heard the satisfying gasp of surprise from the others. Inside the chamber was an exact duplicate of his body, silently sleeping

"The process is automatic now that the first transfer has been completed," Shinzon added, "and so long as you remember who controls the machine everything will be fine."

"So if we can duplicate ourselves why not do so again and again and again, and build a real army?" Kaat asked.

"Because each body would share a consciousness and a soul," Triini replied. "You'd have to divide your attention between each body and any injury caused to one would affect the whole group."

"We could just use the the machinery to create new foot-soldiers," Adaam pointed out. "If they didn't have to think and only obey they wouldn't feel the strain." His thoughts were already turning to other possibilities.

Aside from their collective memories and a link to the Power, the Psycho Rangers were no longer limited to their original appearances. Indeed they no longer needed to look human or even organic. Just by reprogramming the chambers they could alter their artificial bodies as needed. And yet somewhere deep inside they were all aware that despite the changes they would remain just as ineffectual as they had always been, at least without Shinzon to overcome the fail safes that Minion had implanted.

"Today the Psycho Rangers start again and after recent events, nobody knows we exist," Shinzon informed them. "We are the forgotten threat that will strike only when the time is right. The future is ours for the taking.."

Getting involved with Dark Specter and his plans would have been a mistake. Fortunately they had avoided such an error and were in a position to strike. Lessons had been learnt after Minion. Never again would the Psycho Rangers allow themselves to be led by an outsider. Shinzon was a man of great vision and in time the Power Rangers and their mentor would come to realise just how dangerous a dark White Morphin Master could be and why they were truly feared. And that was before he showed the horrors he had hidden within five yet unopened capsules.

"A toast," he offered, taking a glass from the tray Zero had thoughtfully provided. "To eternal life!"

"Eternal life!" the others agreed as they downed their glasses.

At once they knew that something was wrong. They felt the pain building inside them as the poison flowed through their blood. It was clear they had been betrayed, but a glance at their leader showed he was in just as much pain even though he was fighting not to show it. Before they could turn their accusations on Zero though they collapsed, their minds transferring to the storage tanks. However instead of allowing the tanks to open, Zero flicked a switch and set about clearing up the mess.

His master's instructions had been very clear that he was to test the equipment and then dispatch the test subjects. After which he was to maintain watch over the chamber until the time came for the Psycho Rangers to emerge once more. His master had suggested a century or so, but Zero promised to wait a little longer just to be sure.

Deep Space

He was without doubt a victim of circumstance. His career had been best described by the words lucky. It was luck that had made him fall out of favour with his superiors, luck that had gained him a small amount of fame and notoriety, which in all honesty he had enjoyed, and luck that had led to him being branded a traitor. But it was in his opinion a real sign of just how unlucky he was that once on the run his ship happened to cross the path of the person he least wanted to meet.

He had retreated immediately, the enemy had given chase. He had plotted complex course changes and hidden in places he should not have been found. They knew where to look. His comrades had shown their best performance, putting in a display of teamwork and bravery that would have made any manger proud. It was a shame that the only appreciation their pursuers had shown for their actions was to kill them quickly. The fight if it could be called that had been one sided and swift. Their shields had been rendered useless, their engines destroyed and their hull breached in minutes. His crew had been executed and now he found himself standing before the man who would determine his fate.

"I admit I am impressed," he was told as the Inquisitor paced back and forth. "Not many can pull off such an act of treason and make it look as if they were simply incompetent. Had it been just the one prize I could have let it go, two I would have had you watched carefully, but more than three of our most prized wins... nobody can be that incompetent."

"But it's true," he protested. "We never thought one Ranger could cause so much trouble."

"Oh yes, the Ranger," came the reply. "We did some research. You lied to us. On an official report you lied about the nature of the cargo you were carrying. You claimed to be carrying a Ranger, when it was just a Guardian. Now you're claiming that that Guardian somehow managed to escape from your elite crew? Need I remind you your crew captured both the Phantom Ranger and the fugitive Visceron? And you expect me to believe you're foolish enough to allow a Guardian to set them free? I am not a fool Nutt, and neither is Captain Crash."

Captain Nutt, space pirate and unfortunate victim of the Dianthe's elite Creep Squadron led by Captain Crash thought as hard as he could of some reason for the towering enforcer not to end his existence. They had already tried to bribe him with their entire supply of morphing templates. Crash had simply declared the property would become his when he terminated them. He had then proceeded to pulverize every bone in Nailz's body, using the powerful pirate's own hammer to perform the task as a show of the power he wielded before handing the rest of the pirates over to his crew for a bit of fun. Nutt hadn't seen what had happened to them, but the screams of agony led him to believe it had been bad.

So now he was on his own, berating himself for not changing sides when he had thought about it. At least then he would have been a known traitor, which was much better than being a suspected traitor. The Inquisitor that Crash employed was not known for his delicacy. The good cop, bad cop routine took on new meaning as it usually started with a beating to the point where the victim could not stand before the bad cop took over. The Inquisitor played both roles very well.

"I know you lied Nutt and I will be making that clear to Crash. It's been a while since he had the opportunity to punish a traitor and I'm inclined to let him have the opportunity for the morale of crew. You understand I'm sure. But just between you and me," Inquisitor said, leaning in close and offering a small wink, "I think you really are as incompetent as your story claims. I think that you and your crew stumbled upon these opportunities and used them to bolster your reputations. And then you found yourselves outsmarted by the enemy and realised how it would make you appear. I bet even Crash would have to offer some sort of mercy if he heard such a pitiful tale. Shame you will never get a chance to tell it."

As he walked out of the interrogation room he flicked a switch, electrifying the floor, walls, ceiling and even the air. Anything he touched made him jolt in pain. Every jolt of pain caused him to flinch, resulting in another painful shock. And as the Inquisitor closed the cell door, Nutt realised that his ordeal had only just begun.

Onyx

The latest meeting had been in session for hours and so far progress was almost non-existent. For all the power he wielded, Dark Specter had been ill prepared to deal with the idiocy, selfishness and overly inflated egos of his should-be followers. Villains he had cowed into submission had grown a backbone in his presence that they had failed to show before the meeting. It had left him with the choice of making another example or pressing on and hoping his speech would inspire their loyalty. He had chosen the latter option and was growing to regret it. By attempting to show himself as a powerful and wise being, he had inadvertently shown that his followers could get away with their antics. That had encouraged others to follow their lead while those he sought to impress the most looked bored.

At the far end of the long table Dark Specter had prepared for his favoured allies, Master Vile was fighting the urge to just leave. He had only attended in the first place because he had heard Dark Specter's boasts of obtaining a power that would put even the Zeo Crystal to shame. But it turned out Dark Specter had not obtained such a power, indeed his chosen agent's attempt to gain the power in question had resulted in a clear failure on his part. The Earth was no longer obtainable. But the Zeo Crystal was.

As that thought struck him Master Vile realised that he had the opportunity to snatch control of the UAE away from Dark Specter. If he could obtain the Zeo Crystal he would at least be on an equal footing to this upstart. If in the process he could also claim the powers of the Rangers of Earth, he would be the most powerful member, a position that would guarantee him the leadership and the greater share of the spoils.

He wouldn't be able to do it on his own though. He would need outside assistance. Rita and Zedd were not an option since they were too busy focussing on Zedd's lost territory to help with Earth. The Machine Empire would no more work with him than he would lower himself to cooperate with them. As for Divatox, he knew she would betray him at the worst possible moment and through that misjudged act, bring the entire scheme crashing down around him. His eyes searched the crowd, seeking out those that were not disrupting the meeting, those that would be useful. And finally he caught sight of the person he needed. With a air of importance, Master Vile drew himself up and made his way over to where Monastra Repugna stood talking to Count Dregon. It was time to renew an old acquaintance.

Deep Space

It was fire without light, just visible darkness and lots of heat; at one time that had been a classical description of Hell among some of Earth's populace. Whereas the truth of that image had yet to be confirmed, it was an accurate depiction of the black sun in another part of the galaxy. The heat allowed the occupants of the otherwise freezing space to thrive. They were beings of darkness, without a real form save for the matter they absorbed from around them. Highly magical and capable of changing shape and size at will, they had once been demons and malicious sprits that had been caught in an event horizon and found themselves unable to claim a physical shape. Long long ago there had been several thousand species living on their world, but war and interbreeding had wiped out all but the strongest of their kind. Over time the surviving races had left the Black Nebula, the most recent over a million years earlier had recently claimed the name Dark Specter.

But those that had remained had also endured. To survive the cold and the terrible storms they had been forced to unite in body and mind, pooling their magical strength to weather the storm. As time had passed they had drifted beyond the event horizon and had found themselves trapped inside their own black sun. There had been a brief battle for dominance, several would-be leaders had emerged, none were without a flaw of some description. They had multiplied, but while doing so had led to millions of entities, there were still only a few thousand truly distinct minds.

And now for the first time since the exodus, their attention had been drawn beyond their realm. The little planet known as Earth had attracted their interest. A planet that glowed with magical energy. In recent years the natural magical that surrounded the planet had become a beacon, a veritable feast for those that could claim it. Others wanted the world for their own reasons, but for these creatures it was nothing more or less than a craving to feed upon the potent energy.

As one they chose a suitable form, a biological ship capable of moving through space without the need of machinery or vast amounts of magic. Their selected form travelled by consuming any and all matter in its path and then expelling a stream of dusty particles to propel itself forward. At first it had to lose a vast chunk of its body just to gain momentum, but once it reached a suitable speed, it rebuilt its lost mass and adapted its shape to gain speed.

It was a long journey though and constant eating was not enough to maintain its power needs - for the energy requirements to hold a physical form were incredible. And so it selected nearby worlds to feed on. As it approached a target, it unleashed large portions of its bulk towards the surface, aware of the damage such rocky missiles would cause. That was an important part of its strategy... at over three hundred miles in diameter, it was a hard target to miss and could not afford drawn out conflicts.

The first wave of rocky missiles were little more than meteors, burning up harmlessly as they entered the atmosphere. Yet the duration of the meteor shower and the fact that it occurred across the planet, lighting up the sky and disrupting communications for several hours, had astronomers wondering just what had caused so much debris? As observers around the world turned their eyes toward the sky they were unable to find what they were looking for as the second wave of larger meteors struck at more carefully selected targets. And with each assault the defences of a target world were worn down until there was no possibility of resistance as the world was consumed and the aliens resumed their course toward Earth.

_"I swear from this moment that I shall devote my life to the destruction of piracy, greed, cruelty, and injustice, in all their forms until the day another takes my place!"_

He remembered the day he had spoken those words. It had been the day his life had changed forever and he had given up his place in the mortal world to become the Phantom Ranger. He had had a different name back then. He had been a man without direction wandering from planet to planet in search of work and adventure. He had been on a trip to a jungle world known as Bangallia when he had come upon a crashed space ship.

How long the ship had been there was unclear, but the jungle had already started to recover from the fires that had accompanied the crashing vessel. From the scorch marks on the side of the craft it was clear that it had not been a simple case of pilot error.

He approached cautiously, finding his way to the charred section where the cockpit should have been. there he had been surprised to find that not only was the pilot still there, he was alive. Barely alive. He had later learnt that the ship's systems had served as a makeshift cryogenic unit, maintaining the occupant's life functions until help arrived. It had been a wasted effort though since a closer inspection revealed that the unit was almost exhausted and that the pilot was too badly injured to survive long enough once removed from the device for even the most skilled surgeon to save him.

"But I already knew that."

He had been surprised when the injured pilot had spoken. He had thought him to be unconscious.

"The proximity sensors alerted me when you approached," the figure chuckled. "And no, I cannot read your mind."

"We need to find a way to keep this thing running until I can get you some real help," he had said, but the injured man had shaken his head.

"There is no time. My ship kept me alive longer than it should have. Just long enough to complete my final task. I am- Korel Darsan, of the planet Sadrath. I am also known as the Phantom Ranger. And it is to you I offer this legacy."

He had frowned. "What to you mean?"

Korel had not answered, he had simply concentrated. In a flash of black, the pilot's armour was gone and in its place had sat a young, handsome man. His hair was a brilliant white, and his eyes were a truly unearthly shade of green. In one hand he held a spherical ruby, which had been in the chest plate of his armour.

"This is the Power Ruby, one of the oldest and most powerful objects ever known. For generations it has controlled the transformations of the Phantom Ranger. I am not the first Phatnom Ranger although many believe that I am. I was granted the power by the previous Phantom Ranger, just as he received it from his predecessor. It is a potent weapon, but there are some things it cannot overcome. I got sloppy in a recent battle and- " his wry chuckle suddenly became a cough, "I was captured and paid the price for it. Now I ask you to take the Power Ruby and to use its power to continue the Phantom Ranger's mission, or at least to to protect the power until the day comes to pass it on to someone you deem worthy."

"I don't know anything about being a Ranger," he had protested. Korel smiled, a little rivulet of blood trickling from his mouth.

"The Ruby will tell you what to do. It's all instinct. When the time comes... you will know."

He had wanted to refuse, but he had not been the sort to deny a dying man his last request. With a sigh he had nodded. "I'll do it. I'll take your place."

"Very well. From this day forward your life will change. You will still wander, but now it shall be with purpose."

His hand had closed around the stone and the world had started to spin. Somewhere amongst the lights and sounds, he had heard himself speak the oath, confirming himself as the new Phantom Ranger. And he had known that he would never go back.

Knowledge had swept through his mind, the disjointed history of the Phantom Ranger and his origins. He understood that the Phantom Ranger he portrayed was different to the one that had stood firmly against the tide of darkness in the previous existence. Whereas that Phantom Ranger had been able to elude death, the possibility of being destroyed was something he would need to keep in mind. However despite his mortality, the Dianthe believed that he was still the being they had first encountered three-thousand years ago. The feared him in part because he had continued as their greatest leaders and warriors had fallen. And now it fell to the new Phantom Ranger to continue the mission of his predecessors and bring an end to the Dianthe menace.

The Dianthe Clan had evolved in the space of three-thousand years. The pirates had diversified into all sorts of crimes. Drugs, vice, political favours... there were few crimes they had not committed. Murder, extortion and bribery were just a few of the underhanded methods they employed to accomplish their goals. The slave trade and weapon sales had made them rich enough to bank roll an army to conquer a few planets for their criminal activities.

But wherever the Dianthe Clan showed up, the Phantom Ranger was never far behind. He had made himself a nuisance, breaking up many of the Dianthe's more profitable operations. Since the clan had grown he had found himself chasing down one of their leaders while ignoring some of the others. And while he had been aware of Divatox's activities on Earth, he had also seen the reports suggesting the Power Rangers there were more than she could handle. Still his recent encounters with the Dianthe revealed that Divatox had been called away and that the Rangers of Earth had left their planet for some mission. He decided he would check in on those left behind before resuming his quest. If the Dianthe had new allies, then they too would become a part of his quest.

_They were a joke among Rangers. Mocked by the comrades and looked down on by the more experienced teams. But they were heroes, just like those that thought them imbeciles. They had tried to be heroes despite their ridiculous uniforms, but now the time had come to stop trying to be Rangers and to fight as Rangers._

_Already worn from their battle with Tessai, they looked up to see thousands of Shades and Wraiths approaching. The demon creatures were intent on entering the secret passage and pursuing the Galaxy and Zeo teams._

_Pink Turbo shook her head. "Impossible... look at them!"_

_Blue Turbo tightened his grip on his ViBlade and took a step back. "There's too many of them... no way we can fight them all."_

_Red Turbo narrowed his brow beneath his helmet as he stared ahead at the unstoppable force. He held his ViBlade high and took a step forward._

_"Guys," he said boldly. "We can't let them pass. If they get through, they stop the Galaxy and Zeos, and the whole universe loses."_

_Green Turbo shook his head. "What do you suggest we do?"_

_"We fight," Red Turbo said. "And we keep fighting. Everyone else, the other heroes, they may think we're jokes. Hell, look at our outfits, but we're not... we are Rangers. And it's time to show the world why."_

_The battle that followed would only last for fifteen minutes, but in that time the Turbo Rangers showed why they were worth of the name. At first the grunts charged forward one at a time and were easily cut down. Then the numbers started to increase as wave after wave crashed against the multi-coloured barricade. Two, then four, then twelve... the numbers were relentless, constantly increasing as the Turbo Rangers moved with incredible speed and and skill. They kicked, dodged, hacked and punched the aggressors back. They were unstoppable as their powers seemed to grow by the second._

_They were hurt, not a single member of the team could deny that they were being overwhelmed, but they held the line and in doing so they brought the other teams the time that they needed. Never before had they moved so fast, their bodies blurring as they pushed onward. The grunts were too numerous now to count and despite their efforts, the Turbo Rangers were forced to split up as the creatures clawed at their armour._

_Blue Turbo and Pink Turbo managed to stand back-to-back and twirl their weapons through intricate fighting patterns while slashing through the villains. Nothing seemed to survive their blades as they stood on a growing pile of discarded opponents. Hundreds of grunts lay at their feet, thousands more had yet to come._

_"I love you," Blue Turbo said. "You know that, right?"_

_"I do," she said. "I love you too..."_

_They felt their strength draining and their armour weakening. The tears were obvious, the gashes in their skin contributing blood to the carnage they had caused. Green Turbo and Yellow Turbo had already been forced to the ground, and grunts had piled on top of them. Still the two had continued to fight until the very end, even after their weapons were forced from their grips. It wasn't long before Blue Turbo and Pink Turbo were forced to the ground too, but they showed no less commitment to their cause. The four of them lost their struggle, and their lives._

_Nearby, Red Turbo ignored his pain and kept swinging. His blade pierced through a Wraith's collar bone. He swept the sword backward, decapitating a Shade. In the meantime he could feel another soldier rip across his back, tearing his uniform and ripping his flesh._

_His armour sparked from the power drain, burning his body, but he kept moving forward, swinging, chopping at anything that moved. He surrendered himself to The Power. He turned into a living weapon, stabbing, swinging, cleaving the enemy with a massive display of force and speed. He buried his fatigue, buried the grief of his teammates' death, and pushed onward, becoming a red blur that cut everything in its path. His time had come, his body was beyond its limits, yet he continued, spurred on by the promise that none would pass._

_His visor shattered, he hardly noticed. His helmet was smashed off his head, and he used it to bash a Wraith's skull. Blood trickled down blurring his sight, but he was already seeing red. He pressed forward as his uniform was slowly torn to shreds, his only comfort that while he was one man, he stood on a hill of grunt bodies. A sly grin spreading across his face as his blade scalped a Wraith. I suppose this isn't a bad way to go down..._

_Sooner or later the odds had to catch up with him. Even though they had to clamber over the corpses of their brethren, they did not stop and without a team to assist him, it was not surprising that a fist smashed across the back of his head. He crashed against the ground, his injuries finally slowing him enough that he could no longer stand. There was still enough life in him to make a final push. He lifted his blaster and fired into the horde that approached him, draining the weapon of all but a single shot. That shot he directed at the entrance to the passage, and fired._

_The blast caused a cave in that blocked the tunnel entrance, but Luke hardly had time to notice as a Shade's claws dug through his unprotected throat. And as the darkness claimed him he felt a small amount of pride that despite the overwhelming odds, the Turbos had held their ground. None had passed._

Justin Stewart's eyes snapped open. He wouldn't call the dream a nightmare, but it was deeply disturbing. He had seen the Turbo Rangers slaughtered. Except they weren't the Turbo Rangers he knew. This was the third night he had awakened following a strange dream. But so far he had never had the same dream twice. The people were different, the circumstances drastically changed. But perhaps the most disturbing thing was how real they felt.

~I need to talk to somebody,~ he thought before turning over and drifting back to sleep, not realising that the night was already gone and that it was time to get up. As his alarm clock sounded he groaned, realising that this was probably not going to be one of his better days. All thoughts of seeking help were forgotten as he tried to drag himself out of bed.

**End of Part**


	6. Liberation of Aquitar: Mission Complete

Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers. They belong to whoever holds the copyright. This is a fan work and no profit is being made.  
Author's note: This chapter features around the Rangers who left to answer the cry for help from Aquitar. I do intend to write the story of the Liberation of Aquitar at some point, but for now the story picks up after their triumph. This also marks a leap forward in time for the series and happens after the events in Stirring in the Dark. For those wondering, even at this stage Dark Specter's conference is still taking place.

**The Liberation of Aquitar: Mission Complete**

March 10th

They had won, lost and drawn. It was very difficult to decide as with most battles it was all a question of how they wanted to interpret the outcome. The Power Rangers of Earth had received a telepathic cry for help from the people of Aquitar less than two months earlier. They had not needed to discuss their response, they owed the people of Aquitar a debt and despite having paid a part of it back in the past, still considered the watery world a close ally. And so they had had left, leaving only the Turbo Rangers to protect their world in their absence.

Their first stop had actually been to a hidden store house Zordon had had built many years before his battle with Rita. There they had found a fleet of space craft they could use during the mission - for it had been pointed out that relying on just Pyramidas would put the Rangers and especially Trey at risk due to his intolerance to Aquitar's atmosphere. Armed with the resources to help them liberate the Aquitian people, the next month or so had been a constant blur of planning and action against a world where even their allies were their enemies.

For something had corrupted Aquitar. And while the Slaver Lord known as Zanzibar - who had seized control of the planet following the departure of its previous masters - had been relatively easy to dethrone, something had been working against the Rangers. When Zanzibar had finally been driven from the surface, his skiff trailing smoke as it struggled to escape the planet's atmosphere, the Rangers had realised that something was still polluting the waters.

The evil force had been seeping into the normally pure water for months, but the Aquitians had been under the psychic slavery of Zanzibar and had failed to react. Once they had been freed though they had detected the corruption and their collective minds had reacted with panic, generating a telepathic wave the entity could latch onto. From there the force had taken control of the Aquitians, using their fragile mental states as a means to embed itself in their consciousness. It had ordered them to attack their liberators, forcing the Rangers into a fight they did not want.

The last fortnight had been a nightmare for the Power Rangers of Earth. Unwilling to kill the people they had come to help, they had been forced to run constantly, driven further and further away from the source of the problem as the evil entity emerged. Taking the form of a giant squid it had raised itself from the depths of the ocean, its sickly ink poisoning the seas around it.

It had been Aisha that had realised that the ink it was constantly spewing in the water was the cause of their problems. She had analysed the waters and discovered that just like a Triforian, the squid would find the waters of Aquitar inhospitable. The ink was changing the make up of the water, reducing certain chemicals and increasing other so it became comfortable. But worse the ink contained an hallucinogen that caused the Aquitians to see the squid's enemies as their own, forcing them to attack their liberators. What they couldn't see was how the changes in the waters had also started to alter their body chemistry - for those Aquitians that had remained closest to the squid had started to mutate into demonic creatures fed by the dark water.

Finally the Power Rangers had been left with no choice. Once their escape route had been cut off after the squid had ordered its forces to strike their ships, they had been forced to fight back. Instead of targeting the Aquitians though they had taken their fight directly to the monstrous squid and its demons.

The problem with such a bold move was that the squid was much larger than any monsters they had previously fought and they lacked Zords. The beast could smash their sea craft with its tentacles, and anything they threw at it was practically useless. Even the Power Cannon and Zeo Power Blaster failed to do more than lop the end off one of its limbs. And with the pollution increasing, they had found their craft swarmed by water demons.

"Brachio Staff - Power Strike!" the Dino Thunder Ranger called, aiming for the squid's eye.

"Shadow Ribbons - Strike!" Zeo Shadow called, the black tendrils from her staff knocking back the incoming demons.

"Rolling Thunder!" Black Morphin Ranger cried, using his powers to blast the beast with a wall of sound energy as Red Morphin and Red Zeo attacked with their swords.

The Power Rangers were all over the beast, using their weapons to create breaks in the skin that they could use has handgrips and footholds. As Zeo Blade used her lightning attacks to distract the large beast, the other Zeo Rangers were attacking the back of its head and the Morphin Rangers were striking from the side. The giant beast tried to strike them back but only succeeded in striking itself. In desperation it dove beneath the surface, hoping to drown the Rangers only to find that it could not do so - for the Rangers had managed to direct the battle in such a way that the beast found it was no longer over the deep waters.

"Saurian, Thalian, Ninjor!" the Morphin Rangers cried, summoning the ancient Morphin Masters.

Ninjor easily flew his magical cloud around the beast, confusing it and leaving it open for his fellow Morphin Masters. Meanwhile Thalian used his powers to battle the squid with the power of air and fire. Saurian was more old fashioned in his approached, preferring to enlarge himself and drive his sword into the belly of the beast.

"Zordon, something's wrong!" Yellow Zeo warned.

The White Morphin Master had been helping to fight in his own way, but paused when he heard Tanya's warning. Sure enough the blood from the Squid seemed to be affecting the Aquitians, turning them even more rabid than before.

"If this keeps up we'll destroy the squid but end up with a world of water demons," Green Zeo warned.

"And if we don't defeat it'll still transform Aquitar, it'll just take longer," Black Morphin added.

"Either way, there's nothing we can do now," Yellow Morphin stated sadly. "That things already polluted the planet too much."

Silently Zordon agreed with that assessment. He didn't know where the squid had come from, a part of him knew that it had somehow remained hidden on Aquitar from a time long before the current occupants had appeared. Had it been sealed away? It was a possibility, although that also meant that at one time it had been free and something had been powerful enough to contain it. His mind drifted briefly to tales of the Lords of Chaos and their many creatures. Creatures that could twist the minds and souls of those around them, destroying civilisations in readiness for their master to destroy the world.

He shook the thought away as Thalian was struck by one of the beast's remaining tentacles and tumbled towards the sea, reverting to his normal size as he did so. In a flash of white light he was gone, his ability to help exhausted. Ninjor made short work of the offending limb, only to be set upon by a swarming horde of water demons. In the end he too had to teleport away just as Saurian managed to drive his sword into the thick skull of the squid. He too retreated as he was covered in toxic ichor.

"Now!" Red Zeo cried and the Rangers once again unleashed their complete arsenal. This time though the squid was severely damaged and unable to move properly. The Rangers concentrated on the beast eye, striking it multiple times until they managed to burn their way through.

The agonised scream could be heard around the planet as the mental shockwave blasted forth. The Rangers fell to their knees as their minds were overwhelmed by the pressure. The Aquitians that had not mutated found themselves free of the influence while those that had joined their master's death cry. The planet shook as the beast bellowed in rage. The waters around it were dark and bloodied, the Rangers had to scramble for safety as their armour started to burn.

And then in a final act the squid unleashed a massive spray of ink, emptying its body of the poisonous liquid. Great clouds formed, carrying devastating rain across the planet. And the Rangers realised even as they tried desperately to stop it, that there was nothing they could do. Aquitar was doomed.

"Rangers there is little time, but we can still safe this world," Zordon told them.

"How?" Jason demanded. "We don't have that much power."

"Actually we do," Billy answered, although he seemed reluctant. "Zordon is a living embodiment of the Great Power. If he released that power we could cleanse the planet, but there is no way to direct it. For all we know it could create a wave of energy and wipe out all evil in the galaxy, but leave Aquitar untouched."

"What about the Zeo Crystal?" Tommy asked. "If Zordon directed his energy into that it could purify the waters."

"And if we combine our powers we could direct the energy so that it doesn't escape."

"What about Zordon?" Kimberly asked. "Wouldn't letting go of the Great Power destroy him."

"If it does then I will live on in all of you," Zordon promised.

"I have a better idea," Nate decided. "Let's make sure he doesn't lose that much power. There's no reason he has to do this by himself. We all have powers, let's use them."

Now it was Jason's turn to take the lead, as he had done a few times before. "We call on the power of all ours combined: Morphin!"

The eight Morphin Rangers joined hands, pooling their collective energy.

"Zeo!" Tommy added as the nine Zeo Rangers gathered. A gold light signalled the arrival of Trey as he joined the effort.

"Dino Thunder!" Nate called, pouring forth the incredible power of a Ranger that easily exceeded the strengths of those around him.

"I surrender the Great Power, heal this world!" Zordon bellowed.

The multiple streams of energy merged together, pulling all the power the Rangers and their mentor possessed. It was an incredible strain, a force they could barely control as the raw energy tried to escape them. Then the giant ball of power exploded, knocking the Rangers off their feet as purifying energy stormed around the planet, destroying the squid's evil as it did so. The water demons were reduced to droplets of water and forced back into the depths of the ocean where the squid had previously been trapped. The dark ichor that polluted the seas was eradicated along with the squid's body as the people of Aquitar were finally released from their mental bondage and restored to their normal state.

As the shock wave dissipated Trey was teleported back to Pyramidas high above the planet and a small surge of energy sought out the three Morphin Masters, healing their wounds. The Dino Thunder powers flickered briefly before stabilising, their strength reduced to that of a normal Ranger. The Zeo Rangers and Morphin Rangers felt their powers tested for a moment before normalising as the Great Power enhanced their ability to draw on the Power to make up for their exhaustion.

And finally Zordon felt the Great Power return to him. Far weaker than it had been before - for there was no way that restoring a whole world could be portrayed as a minor feat. He knew that in time the Great Power within him would recover as was its nature, but for now he was almost mortal again, something that he welcomed. His body was now more and less than it had been before. It was flesh and blood but no longer a physical embodiment of the Great Power. As such he was weaker and prone to the same weakness as any other Morphin Master. It also meant that a great burden had been lifted from him.

It was funny in some ways how the battle had turned out. The Rangers of Earth had been weakened by their efforts, yet the power they had lost had brought them closer together and helped to eliminate some of the concerns they had held about their own power levels; Nate had even by his own admission been too powerful to unleash unless as a last resort. Now his powers remained impressive and he would likely still have an edge, but the amount of raw power he could use had been reduced. That was likely to convince the Council to leave him alone.

Likewise the Zeo powers had been realigned, making the Rangers equals in spite of their capabilities. Jamie, Lillian, Katarina and Christina had along with Trey held more power than the other Zeo Rangers despite not using their powers as often. Now the ten Rangers were at the same level.

As for the Morphin Rangers there had been very little change. As Full Aspect Rangers they had been incredibly powerful and the Great Power had taken their excess strength, but in doing so it had strengthened their link to the Grid, allowing them to draw more power to make up for the shortfall. In effect they had neither lost nor gained.

Aquitar was free but it would take time to recover. The world's infrastructure had been devastated, it defences shattered. As much as the Rangers of Earth wanted to go home they knew they would not be able to do so until they had helped the Aquitians recover. To not do so would leave Aquitar open to whichever pirate or alien overlord decided to claim it. It meant there would be a lot of work ahead for the Rangers as they tried to restore a world that had not been the same since Minion had targeted them years before.

There had been some good news when the Rangers had discovered that their allies the Aquitian Rangers were still alive. Their powers had been dormant during their planet's enslavement, but now they were once more able to protect their world, something that was assured when Ninjor had reappeared and presented them with new Power Coins.

Still there were questions to be answered about the giant squid. Aquitian history spoke of huge beasts being driven into the depths of the planet, but didn't mention where they had come from or how they managed to mutate native Aquitians. There were references to the Water Demons though and those descriptions implied that it had not been a coincidence. Evil was on the rise once more. The recent departure of known villains for some sort of conference was an indicator, but the Rangers knew from experience that they rarely faced a single threat. If there was a new player they recognised that they would likely struggle against it, especially if it could turn whole planets insane with just one of its giant creatures.

But those concerns were put to the side as they turned their attention to repairing the damaged world. When a threat arose they would fight it because that was what they did. In the meantime the battle was over and their mission: complete.

Angel Grove

"O'Neil! In my office now!" yelled Ronald Jacobs. Jacobs was the cantankerous editor of one of Angel Grove's three major newspapers, _The Angel Grove Gazette._ The _Gazette's_ major competitor was the _Chronicle,_ which had the best reporting team in the city, Clark Lane and Lois Kent. They had recently published yet another article about the Power Rangers, and as usual, Parker O'Neil was feeling the heat.

"Yes, boss?" he asked, strolling into Jacobs' office and casually taking a seat in a chair. Parker was 6'4", and well-muscled, with brown-blond hair and odd tawny eyes. He radiated the easy charm and complete confidence that made him such a wonderful reporter. People talked to him, even people who had something to hide. But it was Parker's skill with a camera that made him such a valuable asset to the _Gazette._ He had a gift for taking pictures, especially pictures of the Power Rangers, that no one else could take. Not to mention that he was the only reporter the Power Rangers would talk to.

"O'Neil, why the heck didn't you get this story? 'Pizza Monster rips up Little Japan.' The _Chronicle's_ made fools of us- again."

Parker just grinned at his choleric boss. "Relax. I've got something even better." Tossing a packet on Jacobs' desk, he had the pleasure of seeing the older man's eyes light up as he thumbed threw it.

"A direct interview with the Power Rangers! Plus pictures! Hot damn, O'Neil, you've pulled it off again!"

Parker paled a little knowing that the story he had handed over was nothing compared to the scoop he had been handed in December. The greatest story a reporter or photographer could be handed and he was unable to tell it. It was frustrating for somebody dedicated to telling the truth, but not for the first time Parker O'Neil reminded himself that the lives he could ruin by doing so were worth more than a moment of fame. For Parker like many others in Angel Grove had recently been let in on a secret: the identity of the Power Rangers. It was a secret that the families had agreed to protect for the sake of their children and themselves. How the Parks, Cranstons, Taylors and Kwangs had reacted to the news that one and in some cases more than one of their children were heroes was uncertain; the news had been broken just hours before the majority of those revealing their secret had left on some mission to the planet Aquitar. Very little had been discussed other than a cover story for their absence.

Parker was smart enough to understand that his concerns were mostly focussed around his sister Lillian. As the Black Zeo Ranger, or Zeo Shadow as she preferred to be called, she had been one of those leaving the planet. He knew that she was in good company, but a part of him was still worried. And that worry had driven him to uncover the facts and learn the identities of the other Rangers.

He had spent a good few weeks trailing the Turbo Rangers, recording their exploits. If knowing his sister was a super hero had been a shock, learning that the Earth's first line of defence consisted of even younger teenagers had been almost too much to take in. But he had followed their adventures and watched them thrive against a very bizarre and unfocussed enemy. They were swift, innovative and crafty. And that made up for the lack of experience and overall strength. At first he had been mistaken in believing they were facing a less dangerous threat than their older teammates, but after witnessing one such battle he had to admit, they were doing a fine job. And the interview he had secured helped to make sure that others also recognised their hard work.

"That interview gives everything Kent's article has, all from the Power Ranger's mouth, so to speak. We'll blow them away."

"I knew I hired you for a reason, boy. Now go on, go find me another headline." Shaking his head, Parker left Jacobs' office, whistling.

Now if only his sister and her friends would come back safe.

The Pragmia Void

He had felt an echo of the strange events on Aquitar. Even though the creature the Rangers had fought was not one of Ma'erok's followers, Xanatox could sense his master's influence in its creation. It had been a monster of chaos, existing purely to destroy anything in its path. It had fought hard and claimed countless Aquitian lives in the process. But more puzzling was that its blood had caused the Aquitians to mutate into something he was familiar with; the images had come to him as flashes of insight so he was uncertain of their accuracy. He remembered the water demons of old. His master had called them Water Balar. They were the twisted souls of Aquitians corrupted by choas magic. Their return assured him that his master was still alive somewhere, awaiting the return of his servants. The servants of chaos were gathering in the dark places unseen by the established forces of Good and Evil.

He had studied all the information he had managed to pull from Oddus and his students. It had granted him a great deal of insight into those that would prevent his master's rise. Those that stood in his way would be powerful, but they were also flawed. And those flaws could be exploited, just as his master had done in the past.

It seemed that moving the Dark Star into contact with space outside of the void had already created ripples in the order of things. He would find a way to expand that influence so that all would face the same choice as others who dared to defy his master's forces: step aside or be obliterated.

**End**


	7. The Most Important Lesson

Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers. They belong to whoever hold the copyright. No profit whatsoever is being made from this fanwork.

**The Most Important Lesson**

Leewood

It was an exciting moment. For months Bulk and Skull had followed the teachings of Prince Dex of Edenoi as the Masked Rider had trained them to use their powers. It had not been easy to master the techniques their mentor had tried to pass on or the strategies he had shared with them. Modifying their powers so that their armour had a more comfortable appearance had taken a great deal of soul searching - for Dex had pointed out that while Bulk and Skull were not Power Rangers, they were not exactly Riders. Their powers were best described as a hybrid, drawing from the Morphin Grid through their bodies and shaped by the Ecto-Accelerators they had acquired. Power Riders was perhaps the most fitting term.

Drawing from their experiences, the two youths had redesigned their armour around their updated police sidecar. Bulk was the heavily armoured power man of the duo while Skull's armour had been streamlined to augment his quickness and agility. Both had mastered the technique of channelling their powers through a single limb, a favoured finisher amongst the Riders and Bulk had grown just as adept with his large Electro-Axe as Skull was with his sword.

"From this day forward the Intergalactic Rider Corps recognises you as its official representatives on Earth," Dex told them.

Technically Earth was not supposed to have Riders. It was also not supposed to have Power Rangers, but some rules were better off broken. The Rider Corps officially recognising Bulk and Skull as members allowed them to remain active on Earth. Using the name Power Riders helped to quell some of the outrage the decision had caused.

"Your exact jurisdiction will have to be negotiated later," Dex warned. "For now you should try and limit it to Earth and its solar system."

Bulk and Skull were unusually sombre as they accepted their new roles. Dex had explained to them that while the Power Rangers fought the large and powerful villains, the Riders often had to deal with the smaller but no less dangerous threats. Indeed some of those that the Riders faced could be considered worse than Lord Zedd, although for the most part, they were at least mortal.

The sound of their communicators beeping spoiled the mood. "Guys, this is Fred, we need your help."

The Moon  
Earlier that day

Goyle had a headache. Actually everything ached. Spank'Em's pet Rangers had battered him continuously, never using the same strategy. It had come as a shock for him to realise that while he had once enjoyed victory after victory against the masked pair, he now rarely triumphed against them. It was only his near indestructibility that allowed him to get up each time ready to fight. He was getting tired of losing.

"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it," Spank'Em had told him when he had complained. "Do not blame my students for your failure to adapt."

The problem was that he had learnt his lesson. Each time he had been defeated he had made sure to take steps to prevent them using the same attack against him only to be defeated once more. And when he had pointed that out to Sank'Em, the old teacher had taken and electrified cane and had thrashed him with it.

"You are not learning the correct lesson," he had said, making Goyle even more confused.

In the end though Spank'Em had taken pity on the slow witted creature and had promised to demonstrate his meaning, using the Power Rangers Turbo as a learning aid. And as an added boon, Goyle had even been allowed to fulfil a small role in the learning process.

Interstate 12, Angel Grove

Twin blurs of crimson and navy light heralded their arrival on a bridge overlooking the freeway. They grinned as they imagined the carnage they were about to cause before leaping down onto the road below. Panicked drivers sounded their horns as two pedestrians appeared in their path. They had no idea how bad their day was about be.

Scarlet Striker reached out and touched a speeding car as it narrowly swerved to avoid hitting him. Using the power of the Speed Force, the energy field that he and his partner along with the Turbo Rangers drew their energy from, he shoved the car, causing it to accelerate out of its driver's control, smashing into the back of another car.

Silver Streaker had his own ideas, using his powers to steal the speed from a truck as it collided with his fist. With a burst of strength he swung the vehicle, striking cars in all lanes as he and his partners started to clear a path of destruction. At some point the police arrived, but he ignored them even when they opened fire. The car he tossed at them had them scrambling to get clear as it became evident the two evil Rangers had something in mind for that stretch of road.

"Tell the boss we're ready," Scarlet Striker ordered.

Silver Streaker nodded and flashed away, leaving his partner to finish blocking the roads.

"Not again!" Fred moaned as the communicator sounded.

The Turbo Rangers had been kept busy recently chasing after Spank'Em and his two students. The teacher had even managed to find some old monster designs that he used to distract the Rangers while his evil students unleashed chaos. Today was no different, four monsters had been sighted in Angel Grove and the crimson speedster was wrecking havoc on the freeway. With limited options the Rangers had agreed to split up, with Rosa volunteering to help the trapped motorists while the others dealt with the monsters. Then together they would deal with the evil Rangers.

"Shift into Turbo!"

When Pink Turbo arrived she knew something was wrong. It was too quiet. The long range vision provided by her helmet allowed her to see that the freeway had been blocked in both directions, creating a two mile stretch of empty road.

"Welcome Pink Ranger," Spank'Em said as he emerged ten meters to her left.

He lifted his right arm and opened fire. Pink Turbo rolled and returned fire with her Auto Blaster, causing him to chuckle.

"So you were prepared. Maybe you can be taught."

"What are you doing here?" Pink Turbo demanded.

"Oh this?" Spank'Em asked, gesturing to the carnage. "This is your next challenge, Pink Ranger. As you can see both sides of the highway have been blocked using crashed vehicles. There are people in those cars; innocent civilians you might say. The cars are connected to detonators that will explode if you attempt to interfere with them. So here is the challenge: in days of old when knights were bold, they had a competition known as jousting. Today Pink Ranger you will take part in a modern joust against my Scarlet Striker Turbo Ranger. If you win, you live. If you lose, you might die. Either way I will teleport a third of those trapped to Angel Grove General as soon as the joust starts."

Rosa quickly understood what he had in mind. She would speed down the highway towards her opponent as he raced towards her. With their weapons drawn they would exchange blows as they passed. The winner would be the one left standing afterwards.

"And if I refuse?" she asked.

"I detonate the whole lot," Spank'Em told her.

Realising she had little choice in the matter, Pink Turbo took her place as the crimson villain appeared at the other end of the closed off road.

"On my command you may charge," Spank'Em announced. "And to show I am honourable, I give you my word that I will not interfere once the battle begins. Go!"

Pink Turbo charged forward, her Turbo Sword in her hand. Scarlet Striker sped toward her from the other end, holding a wicked looking blade her helmet's enhanced vision was to be believed. The distance Spank'Em had chosen allowed them both to reach their full speed, channelling the power into their weapons. They closed the gap rapidly and both started to swing...

"I don't get it, they just teleported away," Yellow Turbo said.

Three of the monsters they had been fighting had vanished soon after the confrontation had started. Left with only one monster to face, the Rangers had quickly triumphed, but it was clear something was not right.

"Rosa!" Franklin cried, voicing their collective concern.

In a shower of sparks they teleported to where the evil Rangers had been spotted. Or rather Tasha teleported there as an injured Rosa was unceremoniously dumped at the feet of her three comrades. Unpowered and battered, it was clear that some of her bones had been broken. Her face was a mess of bruises.

"Guys we have to help her!" Franklin cried. "She's not breathing."

Working together the Turbo Rangers managed to stabilised their friend, using an emergency stretcher from the Power Chamber to protect her back and neck. With Zordon, Alpha and the senior Rangers away, they had no choice but to take their friend to the hospital, which was already swarming with patients that Spank'Em had released when the joust had started. Nobody really questioned the Power Rangers turning up with another victim. The medics were professionals and realising her injuries were critical, raced her to the theatre.

That left the three male Rangers to teleport to the highway to help Tasha.

When they arrived it was clear that they were too late. Yellow Turbo had already accepted Spank'Em's challenge. And like the Pink Turbo Ranger before her, she had been beaten. As they arrived the Rangers saw the two Dark Turbo Rangers adding insult to injury by attacking the injured Ranger. They stomped at her ankles in an attempt to cripple her permanently.

"Hey!" Red Turbo yelled, firing a warning shot at the two dark speedsters, that got their attention.

The three Turbo Rangers raced down to the roadway to help their friend.

"I wouldn't if I were you," Spank'Em warned. "My students are more than capable of ending your friend's life. And if you attack me... well your pink comrade save a third of our victims and your yellow friend here managed the same, but there are still enough of them trapped in those cars over there that you will regret it."

"What do you want?" Red Turbo snarled.

"Just a small competition," Spank'Em replied. "Your two friends failed my little challenge and paid the price. They didn't learn from history. The question is whether you can, Green Turbo Ranger?"

"We're a team," Blue Turbo responded from where he was checking on Tasha. Although injured she was in a better condition than Rosa had been.

"You really don't have a choice," Spank'Em replied. "Even now those monster you fought earlier are tearing their way through the Little China area of Angel Grove. Fail to stop them and they will destroy it. Plus you have to get your friend here to the hospital. So what do you think Green Turbo, should your friends go and take care of things while you enjoy a little one-on-one challenge with my crimson friend here?"

"Do it guys," Franklin urged. He knew there was a trick, he just wasn't sure what it involved.

Reluctantly the Red and Blue Rangers nodded, vowing that they would return as soon as possible.

"I will teleport the remaining hostages the moment the contest begins," Spank'Em promised. "Once my Dark Turbo Ranger has finished you, I won't need to threaten your friends into accepting my challenge."

"Let's get this over with," Franklin growled.

Tasha was a good friend to Franklin and Rosa... Rosa was something more. To see them hurt infuriated the Green Turbo Ranger. He promised he would make those responsible pay.

"Very well... Go!"

Justin and Fred had not spent long dealing with Spank'Em's monsters. They had gone in using their most powerful weapons and had dispatched the first inside a minute. The second had taken a little longer, but they had been frustrated when the third had resisted their attacks and then teleported away. With a sudden feeling of dread, they had returned to the road where they had left Franklin.

The Green Turbo Ranger lay face down on the road. At first they were concerned by the large amount of blood, but quickly realised that although it looked serious, it was only a small cut from his shattered helmet. Very carefully they forced their friend to power down, wondering why he refused to let them do so until the removed the remains of his helmet. They he had willingly demorphed, falling unconscious at the same time.

"Franklin!"

The two Rangers cringed as Detective Park, Franklin's father and one of the parents that knew the true identities of the Power Rangers arrived. They expected him to be angry, but if he was, the anger was hidden under his concern for his son's life. Between them the three men managed to stabilise him enough to transport to the hospital. Still with three Rangers down and countless innocents injured, it had been a very bad day.

And to make it worse, it seemed Spank'Em had reappeared.

Power Mountain

"Justin we need to get back out there!" Fred protested.

He was angry. Justin was too. Their friends were hurt and emotions were running wild. But the Blue Turbo Ranger had insisted they report to the Power Chamber before doing anything else. Fred was a good enough leader to trust his teammate, but the lack of action did not help his mood.

"Look Spank'Em has been winning because he's managed to split us up," Justin pointed out. "So we need to even the odds a little and make sure we can take care of any larger problems."

Fred nodded. The Megazord required five operators to form correctly and with only two Rangers they were at a tactical disadvantage.

"I'm going to contact Dex and ask him to help," Justin announced. And besides that, we have these..."

A panel in the wall opened revealing five Turbo Rangers already morphed and ready for action.

"The Robot Rangers," Fred hissed. "Justin, these guys didn't work."

It was true. Despite being programmed with a full copy of the Turbo Rangers' memories and knowledge, the Robot Rangers had lacked the spirit needed to succeed. And while their intelligence was far greater than many machines, they lacked Alpha's level of sentience. They did however have all the powers of the Turbo Rangers and could provide a distraction.

"This is what we are going to do," Justin explained.

The joust was on and Fred was determined that he would win. Calling on the Turbo Lightning Sword, he prepared himself to speed forward at maximum velocity, well aware that he needed all the momentum he could find to deliver a decisive blow. A mile down the highway he could see his opponent, the Scarlet Striker... thing that been responsible for putting Tasha, Rosa and Franklin out of action. His helmet's visual enhancements allowed him to see that his opponent had also drawn a sword. There was no sign of the Silver Streaker though. It looked like Franklin had been right.

"Go!"

The command was given and Red Turbo surged forward, just as Tasha, Franklin and Rosa had done before him. He poured everything into increasing his speed, all the while watching the freeway for the mark they had placed earlier.

"I'm almost there guys," he warned.

"We're in position," came the reply, followed by a delay. Then finally there was a whoop of triumph. "Got him!"

Red Turbo looked up to see the Scarlet Striker speedster closing the gap. It was now or never if he was going to survive this encounter.

"Do it!" he ordered.

Away from the freeway Bulk and Skull had parked their sidecar and had been frantically scanning for their target. When they had spotted him it had been just as the Turbo Rangers had expected. After calling in their sighting and receiving a positive response, Bulk and Skull had decided a change of clothing was in order.

"Power Rider - Activate!"

Their modified Ecto-Accelerators charged with power, granting them the armour of the Power Riders. The feeling was incredible, but they did not have time to savour it. They had a target to strike.

"Bulk Cannon!" Bulk called, summoned an extremely large shoulder mounted weapon that was named for its firepower and not its user. Armed with four powerful rockets it was a long range weapon that could deliver extremely powerful assaults up close.

Skull shifted into position behind the weapon, providing additional support against recoil and a final check on accuracy. With a nod Skull slapped his partner on the shoulder and Bulk pulled the trigger, launching all four of its rockets directly into the path of the Silver Streaker.

It had been an effective trap. Rosa had fallen for it, Tasha had failed to see it coming and even though Franklin had twigged, it had been too late to escape. Forced into a one-on-one confrontation with their crimson opponent, while their teammates were sidelined protecting other parts of the city, it had been easy to overlook the location of his comrade. And that had been the reason that the crimson villain had triumphed, for as the three Rangers had sped towards him at high speed, they had failed to see the Silver Streaker hurtling at them from the side, bashing into them at the right moment as his crimson comrade changed course slightly. The three Turbo Rangers had each been shunted to the side, loosing their moment in to process. At which point the still speed crimson juggernaut had slammed into them at full power.

With Rosa they had had more time to strike and the injuries they had caused her had been severe. Fred recalled as he gripped his sword tighter, that even with the benefit of enhanced healing, she would be out of action for months. Tasha and Franklin had not escaped harm either and both would be on the sidelines for months to come. It was only luck that had kept them alive. Sadly the damage caused to the Turbo Keys meant that it was unlikely the powers could be passed on. At least not until they could find someone capable of fixing them.

This time however the plan had not gone as expected. Blue Turbo had been sidelined just as they had anticipated and the Red Turbo Ranger had been alone. Even the Masked Rider was preoccupied battling Goyle in a confrontation that saw him throw the hero of Edenoi through the walls of the Angel Grove Credit Union. They had checked to confirm that it was the real Red Turbo Ranger they were fighting, but had not expected the interference from the two Riders that had appeared on the other side of the highway.

Silver Streaker had been building up speed, ready to tear the Red Turbo Ranger in half when the rockets had exploded around him. Although he escaped a direct hit, he was thrown into the air by the shockwave and found himself staring up at two Riders.

Meanwhile his crimson comrade had already adjusted his angle of attack and realised too late that the Red Turbo Ranger would not be where he expected him to be. The explosion distracted him, so he also failed to see Red Turbo screech to a halt and teleport a short distance to the side. Scarlet Striker had lowered his sword when he had realised his error, only to look up in horror as he recognised his second mistake: Red Turbo Ranger was no standing in his path, Turbo Lightning Sword in hand while his weapon was back in storage. At the speed he was travelling it was impossible for him to stop or avoid the impact.

With a growl of defiance he raised his fist, determined that he could still triumphed. Red Turbo however stepped around the punch as he directed the sword into the charging Ranger's body. It was then that the crimson speedster came to a complete stop.

Patience and concentration, that was the key to victory as far as Blue Turbo was concerned. Well that and a lot of ducking and diving. After a few unsuccessful attempts, it had become clear that his opponent was heavily shielded at all times. Except when it was ready to unleash another round of coloured blocks. And Blue Turbo had quickly realised that before the monster could unleash its full fury, the colour barrels on its forearms needed to twist and turn themselves so that the coloured puzzle was resolved.

Rubik's Monster as Blue Turbo had called him - for it appeared to be made up of several puzzle cubes - was enjoying itself immensely as the coloured panels on its arms shifted into place, allowing it to unleash another volley at the Blue Ranger.

This time though Justin was ready and as the last panel clicked into place, he opened fire with the Turbo Hand Blasters, striking the panels and breaking the monster's weapons. But since the monster's shielding was down and he had not fired his weapons, which shifted the panels out of alignment and reactivated the shield, the monster was still vulnerable as Blue Turbo leapt in close and finished it off with his Auto Blaster.

The monster was of such a poor design there was not enough left for it to grow. Something that made Justin happy as he turned his attention to the cause of the Turbo Rangers' recent problems: Spank'Em.

In another part of the city the battle between Dex and Goyle had reached new heights, literally. Goyle had decided to grow and crush the Masked Rider, but had forgotten the Dex possessed the ability as Super Green to grow just as tall. And while their previous battle had seen the two square off, since Dex had never had the opportunity to defeat Goyle before the Turbo Rangers had delivered the final blow, but this time the Masked Rider was in full control. As the grappled it became clear that Goyle was the stronger, but even with his greater size, Dex had the better training.

The battle continued for a while as both combatants took a hammering, but finally Dex decided enough was enough.

"Rider Kick!"

He leapt higher than ever before, directing the power of the Masked Rider into his feet as he slammed into Goyle at full speed. The unfortunate monster never stood a chance.

"We really don't want to do this," Bulk warned as he and Skull closed in on the battered Chaser. Even after he had taken such a pounding from Bulk's arsenal, he remained in his armour. A slight cough from Skull caused the larger Power Rider to stop before chuckling. "Actually, I would love nothing better than to do this," he admitted.

Spank'Em's pupils had put three Ranger in the hospital and injured countless civilians. Several people had been killed in their recent onslaught. So if asked Bulk and Skull would admit that neither of them had an objection to pounding the two villains. Especially since scans revealed the pair were acting of their own free will.

The villain pulled himself to his feet and Bulk and Skull waited, hoping that they would not be forced to put him down. As much as they wanted to hurt him, they both preferred to avoid killing. He chuckled as his hands blurred with motion, pulling the molecules around him to form a wicked looking axe.

Both Riders took that as a challenge, leaping into action with their own weapons. They quickly discovered that while hurt, he had not slowed down. His axe whistled through the air, colliding with Bulk's Electro Axe. As Bulk was forced back the speedster's knee jerked up, catching the Rider on the chin. Bulk grunted and stepped back, failing to block a roundhouse kick or notice the axe as it neared his midsection.

Fortunately Bulk had a reliable partner and Skull did not let him down. His Electro Saber intercepted the axe, redirecting it as he traded a few kicks with their opponent. When it was clear that such moves would not work, Skull drew his sidearm and fired, his blaster tearing holes in the side of the highway. Surprisingly his opponent managed to dodge the incoming blasts even at close range, but failed to see a recovered Bulk's fist until it was too late. By that point the larger Power Rider had moved into position and grabbed his arms, holding him prone for Skull's attack.

"Rider Power Kick!" Skull cried, leaping into the air and directing the energy into his left foot. At the last second Bulk moved, allowing their opponent to take the full impact.

The Chaser somehow remained standing although it was clear that he had been beaten. His body had started to fade from view by the time Bulk and Skull had reunited, his powers leaking away from him and with them his life force.

For the Scarlet Striker and Silver Streaker had ceased to be human once their programming had been completed. They had been transformed by the powers they possessed into a force of nature that Spank'Em had managed to direct. Both of them were dangerous and their anger and hatred of the Turbo Rangers had been genuine. But just as the molecules that made up the bodies of the Turbo Rangers were accelerated to such an extent that they became energy contained within their suits, so the two evil Rangers had been transformed. Except once they had transformed they had never turned back or set their power to standby. Over the course of their training the cohesion of their molecules had grown so weak that without their costumes they were doomed to dissipate. The damage Bulk and Skull had inflicted had been too great and as the speedster fell to one knee, his suit tore and he vanished.

The other speedster was not in any better shape than his comrade. The Turbo Lightning Sword had ripped through his uniform, expelling the energised particles that had once been his body. He had managed to contain the leak, using the Speed Force to hold back the damage to his uniform. But he knew that he had been defeated and that it was only a matter of time. He just wanted the opportunity to take the Red Turbo Ranger with him.

"Convoy Zord, Power Up!" he cried, calling upon one of the Zords Spank'Em had acquired; Porto had actually designed a fleet of Zords to combat those of the Turbo Rangers. With only two Rangers available, he had taken the most powerful of the machines and configured the rest to operate automatically.

Red Turbo dived instinctively as the large red truck hurtle passed him. The crimson speedster reached out, grabbed on and climbed inside, where he activated the controls that made it grow to Zord size.

"Convoy Zord, High Stance Mode!" he called, initiating the transformation sequence.

Fred however had seen this sort of thing before and knew enough about Zords to strike while it was still vulnerable.

"Red Lightning Turbo Zord!"

Without waiting for the opposing Zord to complete its transformation it what appeared to be a large warrior robot, the Red Lightning Turbo Zord streaked forward, striking the Scarlet Striker's Zord head on. The Zord flew through the air, landing awkward as Red Turbo put his Zord into a controlled spin and opened fire with its weapon systems.

As the crimson speedster was thrown from his Zord, Fred was taking no chances. He leapt out, Turbo Lightning Sword in hand to finish the battle. His actions were unnecessary though as the rip in his opponent's uniform had reopened and in a burst of sparks, it was torn apart.

With Goyle defeated, his students destroyed and his monster lost, Spank'Em knew his time was limited. The Blue Turbo Ranger was a fierce fighter when angered and Spank'Em had engineered the near death of three of his friends. Instead of being blinded by his rage though the Blue Turbo Ranger used it to fuel his controlled assault, striking the villain repeatedly with a flurry of punches and kicks. Only when he was sure the villain would stay down did Justin pull his side arm and deliver the final blow. At which point Spank'Em took the only opportunity he had and grew. The roar of engines heralded the arrival of the Turbo Zords and as Blue Turbo jumped aboard, the Turbo Megazord was quickly formed.

When Justin and Fred had activated the Robot Rangers they had not intended them to fight - for it had been proven that while sentient machines like Alpha could fight the forces of darkness, no unfeeling machine could duplicate the heart and soul of a living Ranger-, but had made use of their duplicate powers and knowledge to carry out emergency work on the Turbo Zords. With three Rangers out of action it had been important to reconfigure the machines so that they could be controlled from the cockpits of Red Lightning and Mountain Blaster.

"It actually worked!" Red Turbo cried as the cockpit lit up.

Blue Turbo nodded. The Turbo Megazord normally required all five Turbo Rangers to form. With three Rangers incapacitated they had needed to alter the way in which the Megazord formed. Using a combination of automated controls and quick teleports between the Zords, sometimes one Ranger leaving a machine and the other jumping straight into their empty seat, they had managed to complete the docking sequence. However bypassing the need for five Rangers once the Megazord had been completed required extra work and the areas of the cockpit where Franklin, Rosa and Tasha normally sat were covered in wires and makeshift circuitry. Some makeshift equipment had been spot wielded into place.

"Shame Billy never built a remote control for the Turbo Zords," Blue Turbo commented.

Red Turbo nodded as they turned their concentration to the matter at hand. While three Rangers down put them at a disadvantage, Spank'Em was not a particularly powerful opponent. Working together they managed to direct the Turbo Megazord in such a way that they drove the villain back.

Spank'Em retaliated, using the blaster on his right arm to assault the Megazord's midsection. The Megazord responded with a blast from its chest blasters before reaching out to crush his arm, preventing him from using such an attack again. It appeared the Rangers were capable of learning.

"Turbo Megazord Spin Kick!" Blue Turbo cried, pressing his foot on one of the pedals.

The Megazord responded by igniting the jets under its left foot while raising its right leg. By directing the jets it started a slight spin that caused the outstretched leg to collide repeatedly with its foe. And as it collided Spank'Em was forced back, freeing the leg to make another rotation for a further strike.

"Turbo Megazord Turning Punch!" Red Turbo added.

The leg dropped back to its original position, but the Megazord continue forward, still spinning as it did so, this time with its fist raised ready to punch Spank'Em on the jaw.

"Windmill Blow!" both Rangers cried, causing the Megazord to extend both arms to the side, striking Spank'Em with alternating arms.

Spank'Em was horrified that for all his research the Rangers were capable of such a varied assault. What he failed to understand was that with only two Rangers present they were more reliant on moves that had been programmed into the Zord's computer, moves that normally would have been ignored in favour of the Turbo Rangers' preferred style of combat. Not that it mattered because after his previous encounter with the Rangers, any damage was likely to be terminal.

"It's time," Red Turbo decided at last after they had taken their time to make sure Spank'Em was vulnerable.

Blue Turbo nodded his agreement and crossed his fingers. While many of the moved they had used had at least bee tested successfully, they had never needed to test the Turbo Spinout with only two Rangers present. Since the move channelled the power from their Turbo Keys into the Megazord's sword, there was a chance that they would not have enough power to complete the finisher.

"Turbo Megazord Spinout!" Red Turbo ordered.

"Ah the Turbo Spintout: a powerful technique, yet flawed in that it requires its target to remain in position. So if I move, thus," he stepped to the side and pulled out his energised cane, "I can teach you brats a lesson."

He flicked the cane, striking the Megazord and knocking it away. He raised the weapon to deliver another blow, but the Turbo Rangers already had something in mind.

"Wind Bullet!"

The power of the Turbo Megazord was redirect into its chest lasers and the arms, which suddenly detached and joined together to reform Wind Chaser. As the single blast left the Megazord's chest, Wind Chaser was propelled forward like an energised bullet. It was a technique Spank'Em had never seen before while studying the Power Rangers. Therefore he was not prepared as the empowered car ripped a hole in his chest.

"Where did I go wrong?" Spank'Em asked. Unable to teleport and with his three students out of action, he knew that this time there would be no escape.

"You didn't learn from history," Blue Turbo told him as the Megazord reformed and once again prepared to deliver the Spinout.

"Never mess with the Power Rangers!" Red Turbo concluded as the Megazord stood victorious.

_"...Latest reports suggest the Interstate will remain closed until the end of the week to allow for resurfacing and a complete structural check. Bomb disposal experts have confirmed earlier reports that the Power Rangers had acted after innocent civilians were threatened by one of the monsters. While the condition of the Yellow, Pink and Green Turbo Rangers remains unclear following their brutal encounters, the three children saved by the other Rangers have made a miraculous recovery._

_Meanwhile in international news, the government of Japan has confirmed that its entire Ultratech force has been decimated by the most recent monster attack to devastate the country's coast. While there were no civilian casualties reported, significant property damage has been confirmed as a state of emergency was called in affected areas. The Japanese government has already sent a plea to other nations to supply 'appropriate aid' against future attacks. Those nations named by the Prime Minister have so far denied having the kind of resources such a request might suggest they possess..."_

Angel Grove

Although they were still limping, Tasha, Rosa and Franklin had been released from the hospital the same day. Their accelerated healing had done the best it could to fix their broken bones, but some things would take time to heal. Since their Turbo Keys had been damaged in the battle, they were unable to morph anyway and would be forced to sit on the sidelines until Zordon and the other returned. Not that their parents minded. Rosa and Franklin's parents had been relieved to learn their children would not be in direct danger during future encounters; Tasha's guardians at the children's home were unaware of her secret identity.

Still that left Justin and Fred on their own to protect the planet. Dex, Bulk and Skull had promised their help, but both Rangers were hoping their friends would hurry up and get back from Aquitar.

The Moon

Spank'Em was gone. His students were gone. All that remained was Goyle and he had a headache. The Masked Rider's kick had been painful and while he survived, a part of him wished he hadn't. Still as he suffered his demonic heritage forced his body to adapt. The next time they, met the Masked Rider would not be able to hurt him.

The air rippled as two blurs, one crimson and the other dark blue, announced the arrival of what was left of the Dark Turbo Rangers. Instead of being absorbed into the Speed Force as they had expected, the energy field had healed them. Although now they were less human than ever.

They looked up as Goyle charged at them and realised that Spank'Em had been wrong: Goyle was capable of learning how to defeat them after all. It was simply a matter of striking first. And without Spank'Em there to hold him back, the monster had the upper hand. The Dark Turbo Rangers had barely survived their recent defeat, they were far too weak to summon the speed they needed to avoid Goyle's devastating force.

Goyle ignored the Scarlet Striker long enough to smash the other Dark Ranger in the face so hard that he crashed through the solid walls of the old palace. Then he turned his attention the the more powerful Dark Turbo Ranger, striking him repeatedly until he could not stand. His grip tightened around the other villain's neck and he was rewarded by the sudden fear that meant his prey understood what was about to happen. Even as the Silver Streaker crawled back into the room, he reached out with his other hand and tightened it over the Scarlet Striker's head. There was a pause as all three villains understood what was about to happen, and then with a firm pull he ripped the Dark Turbo Ranger's head from his body, eliciting a cry of anguish from the other as he absorbed his power.

That had not been something Goyle had expected. Teach'Em had failed to mention the ability to claim the power of his defeated foes. Maybe he had forgotten or just not known; more likely he had not mentioned it out of fear that Goyle would attempt to test his power on his own allies. Whatever the reason, the sudden rush he felt following the ingestion of Scarlet Striker made him hungry for more. And so he turned his attention to Silver Streaker.

The Silver Streaker lived up to his name, charging forward to strike the monster he had beaten so many times before. This time though Goyle had nothing holding him back and proved he was just as fast as the Dark Turbo Ranger. Faster in fact now that he had been infused with energy from the Speed Force, for his fists connect five times for every punch Silver Streaker managed to land. In the end there was no contest as Goyle stopped throwing his opponent around and instead unleashed a ball of energy that almost ripped him to pieces. Even as Silver Streaker struggled to think of a way out of his situation, Goyle loomed over him, ready to feed once more.

**End of Part**


	8. Operation Taskforce: The New Initiative

Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers. They belong to whoever hold the copyright. No profit whatsoever is being made from this fanwork.  
Author's Note: This is a short chapter. It will have implications later.

**Operation Taskforce: The New Initiative**

_"...Latest reports suggest the Interstate will remain closed until the end of the week to allow for resurfacing and a complete structural check. Bomb disposal experts have confirmed earlier reports that the Power Rangers had acted after innocent civilians were threatened by one of the monsters. While the condition of the Yellow, Pink and Green Turbo Rangers remains unclear following their brutal encounters, the three children saved by the other Rangers have made a miraculous recovery._

_Meanwhile in international news, the government of Japan has confirmed that its entire Ultratech force has been decimated by the most recent monster attack to devastate the country's coast. While there were no civilian casualties reported, significant property damage has been confirmed as a state of emergency was called in affected areas. The Japanese government has already sent a plea to other nations to supply 'appropriate aid' against future attacks. Those nations named by the Prime Minister have so far denied having the kind of resources such a request might suggest they possess..."_

He sighed as he changed the channel and returned to the report in front of him. The situation in Japan was likely the nail in the coffin of the Taskforce Operation: the super soldier project adopted by multiple nations decades earlier. Japan, America, the Soviet Union, China and parts of Europe all had their own teams created under the Taskforce Treaty, which allowed for the building and development of such teams on an equal footing. The complete obliteration of the the project in Japan along with the under funding of the Russian project since the fall of the Iron Curtain, not to mention the destruction of the French team months earlier meant that delicate balance no longer existed.

Not that it would be a big loss to the United States. The project had stalled the year before the Power Rangers had first emerged, a situation caused by the government's policy of disposing of operatives after a year's service. When the alien that provided their technology had found out, he had refused to provide additional technology. All attempts to reverse engineer the armour he had built, had failed. There had been no further significant development except the disastrous Titanium Project - they still didn't know what had happened there - and funding had been repeatedly cut ever since. In fact the apart from the Lightspeed Operation, which was no under government control, the Lightspeed Operation could be best described as a waste of resources.

~If only they hadn't insisted on killing the 'volunteers',~ he thought. ~Bahrain would have continued to cooperate and maybe we'd have actually learnt something.~

There were so many ways they could have handled the problem. The Russians used their former operatives as manual labour, taking advantage of their enhanced strength. They were by no means slaves and well rewarded for their efforts. They enjoyed a healthy and fulfilling life providing they didn't try and leave the country or communicate with the operatives from other countries. The Japanese on the other hand used the retired volunteers to train the next group, believing that having had first hand experience they were best suited to demonstrate the necessary skills. He had heard that in Europe operatives were allowed to go free after their service expired. He snorted; in Europe there had never been a collective approach leading to smaller teams stretching the scarce resources. He doubted there was a single team in Europe that was not patched together in some way. The act remained though that of all the many participants in the Taskforce Operation, only American had adopted the policy of putting them completely beyond use.

"The development of new operatives is no longer feasible due to the loss of Japanese breeding stock," he said, after turning on the voice recorder. According to the reports he had read many of the retired operatives had been pressed into service, robbing the country of its much needed gene pool. "Since all known first generation material is now beyond use and given the failure of subsequent generations to inherit the desired traits, it is my recommendation that the attempts to create new operatives for the Taskforce Operation cease with immediate effect. Instead we should concentrate on the acquisition of alien technology and its application for homeland protection."

It had been a long time coming, but somehow he knew the decision was the right one. Unfortunately that also meant that the alien scientist Bahrain was no longer required and would need to be disposed of in accordance with the treaty. It was a shame given how much they could have learnt, but then he had never liked that alien in the first place.

**End of Part**


End file.
